Find out how popular the last name Cranford is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cranford.

Cranford, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cranford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cranford in America

Cranford is the 3999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cranford surname appeared 8,883 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Cranford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cranford to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cranford

The surname Cranford is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Cranford, which is found in several counties across England, including Middlesex, Northamptonshire, and Berkshire.

The name Cranford is believed to have its roots in the Old English words "cran" and "ford," meaning "crane" and "ford" respectively. This suggests that the name originally referred to a ford or crossing point where cranes were commonly found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cranford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Creneforde." This reference is linked to a place in Middlesex, indicating the long-standing presence of the name in that region.

During the 13th century, the surname Cranford began to appear more frequently in various historical records. For instance, a Roger de Cranford was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1206.

Notable individuals with the surname Cranford include Sir William Cranford (1572-1629), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was Pauline Cranford (1895-1981), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films during the early 20th century.

In the literary world, the surname Cranford is perhaps most famously associated with Elizabeth Gaskell's novel "Cranford," published in 1853. The book is set in a fictional town of the same name and provides a glimpse into the lives of the residents of a small English village during the 19th century.

Other historical figures bearing the Cranford surname include John Cranford (1613-1685), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College, and Henry Cranford (1796-1851), a British naval officer who participated in several notable battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the surname Cranford has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in various English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cranford

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cranford.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cranford was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cranford has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cranford was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cranford, please contact us.

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