2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cranker
An occupational surname relating to a person who operated a mechanical crank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Cranker. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cranker surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Cranker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cranker
The surname Cranker is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is likely derived from the Old English word "cranc," which means "bend" or "turn," referring to a person who lived near a winding stream or a crooked path.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cranker can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, dating back to the late 13th century. The name appeared as "Roger le Cranker," suggesting that it was initially used as a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Cranker began to spread across various regions of England. In the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, there is a reference to a "John Cranker" living in the village of Kirkburton, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
The name Cranker has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Cranker Brook, a small stream that flows through the village of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire. This connection further supports the theory that the surname originated from a topographical description.
Among the notable figures who bore the surname Cranker throughout history, one can mention:
1. William Cranker (c. 1520 - 1585), a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of York.
2. Anne Cranker (1635 - 1701), a Quaker minister and author from Lancashire, known for her writings on religious subjects.
3. Thomas Cranker (1672 - 1738), a member of the Parliament of England, representing the borough of Aldborough in Yorkshire.
4. Elizabeth Cranker (1745 - 1819), a renowned educator and philanthropist from Lincolnshire, who founded several schools for underprivileged children.
5. John Cranker (1812 - 1887), a successful industrialist and inventor from Manchester, who patented several innovations in textile manufacturing.
Over the centuries, the surname Cranker has undergone various spelling variations, such as Crancker, Crankour, and Crankir, reflecting the regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during earlier periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cranker
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cranker bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cranker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cranker
Cranker appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 169 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cranker surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #141,309 | -0.1% |
| Count | 118 | 121 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cranker bearers went from 118 to 121 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #141,309.
FAQ
Cranker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cranker?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Cranker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Cranker?
Cranker ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Cranker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cranker.
Has Cranker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cranker went from 118 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 3 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cranker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cranker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cranker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cranker (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cranker mean?
An occupational surname relating to a person who operated a mechanical crank. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cranker (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Cranker?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.