2000
#9,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Cranston
Derived from a place name meaning "crane stone," likely referring to a stone where cranes gathered.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,452 Americans carry the last name Cranston. That puts it at #10,191 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,292 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cranston 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cranston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,292
Census rank
#10,191
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,010 bearers of the surname Cranston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10191st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranston, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cranston
The surname Cranston originated in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cran" meaning "crane" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting a connection to a place where cranes were found or a settlement named after these birds.
One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Cranstoune" in these rolls, indicating its early presence in Scotland.
The Cranston family is thought to have originated in the area of East Lothian, Scotland, where the village of Cranston still exists today. The name is also associated with the town of Crailing in the Scottish Borders, which was once known as "Cranstoune" or "Cranstoune-Riddale."
In the 13th century, a prominent member of the Cranston family was Sir John Cranston, who served as the Sheriff of Roxburghshire and was present at the Battle of Largs in 1263, where the Scots defeated the Norwegians.
Another notable figure was William Cranston (c. 1590-1654), a Scottish clergyman and one of the authors of the National Covenant in 1638, a document that affirmed the Scottish Reformation and opposition to the religious policies of King Charles I.
In the 17th century, the Cranston family established itself in Ireland through the Plantation of Ulster, with members settling in counties such as Antrim and Donegal. One notable Cranston from this era was John Cranston (1625-1680), an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
In the 18th century, Samuel Cranston (1659-1727) served as the governor of Rhode Island from 1698 to 1727, one of the longest tenures in the colony's history. He played a significant role in securing the colony's charter and defending its rights against encroachment from neighboring colonies.
The name Cranston has also been associated with various place names, such as Cranston, Rhode Island, which was named after the Cranston family, and Cranston Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, which likely took its name from the nearby village of Cranston.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cranston
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranston, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cranston 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 Cranston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 2,558
- Black or African American6.4% · 193
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 111
- Two or more races3.6% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cranston
Cranston 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
#10,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,200
+72 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 541 places
2020
#10,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,010
-190 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,531 | 3,128 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,072 | 3,200 | 1.08 | +72 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 541 places |
| 2020 | #10,191 | 3,010 | 1.01 | -190 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 119 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 Cranston 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 | #10,072 | #10,191 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,200 | 3,010 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.01 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cranston bearers went from 3,200 to 3,010 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,072 to #10,191.
FAQ
Cranston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cranston?
Name Census estimates that about 3,452 living Americans carry the surname Cranston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,292 residents.
How common is Cranston?
Cranston ranks #10,191 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,010 people with the surname Cranston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,452), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cranston.
Has Cranston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cranston went from 3,200 recorded bearers to 3,010. That is a decrease of 190 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,072 to #10,191.
What does the Census say about the background of Cranston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cranston, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Cranston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (2,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cranston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Black (6.4%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Cranston (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 Cranston mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "crane stone," likely referring to a stone where cranes gathered. 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 Cranston (1.01 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 share the surname Cranston?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.