2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cravins
A corruption of Cravings, possibly referring to someone with a voracious appetite.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Cravins. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cravins 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Cravins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cravins, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Hispanic (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cravins
The surname Cravins is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cræf," which means "craft" or "skill," suggesting that the name may have been originally associated with a skilled tradesperson or craftsman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cravins can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, dating back to 1242, where a certain William Cravyn is mentioned. This early spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the surname over time.
In the late 13th century, the name Cravins appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a John Craven was listed as a landowner. This historical record suggests that the Cravins family may have been part of the landed gentry during that era.
During the 14th century, the name Cravins was documented in various manorial records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Robert Crawyn is mentioned in 1349. This record indicates the geographic spread of the Cravins name across different regions of England.
One notable individual bearing the Cravins surname was Sir William Craven (1548-1618), an English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1610. He played a significant role in the East India Company and was knighted by King James I in 1609.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Craven (1588-1665), an English colonel who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was captured at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644 and later served as a Member of Parliament.
In the literary world, Anne Craven (1624-1676), an English poet and playwright, gained recognition for her works, including the play "The Novelty." Her writings shed light on the intellectual and cultural pursuits of the Cravins family during the 17th century.
John Craven (1647-1701), an English clergyman and scholar, served as the Master of St John's College, Cambridge, and was known for his contributions to theological studies. His works, such as "A Dissertation on the Primitive Institution of the Sabbath," were widely respected in academic circles.
The Cravins surname also found its way to the New World, with one notable bearer being Reuben Craven (1780-1860), an American politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States House of Representatives in the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cravins
Among Census respondents with the surname Cravins, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Hispanic (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cravins 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 Cravins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.4% · 55
- Black or African American29.5% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 10
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cravins
Cravins appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-11 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 9,840 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 Cravins 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 | #143,149 | #152,989 | -6.9% |
| Count | 116 | 105 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cravins bearers went from 116 to 105 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #152,989.
FAQ
Cravins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cravins?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Cravins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Cravins?
Cravins ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Cravins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Cravins.
Has Cravins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cravins went from 116 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Cravins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cravins, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Hispanic (9.5%). 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 Cravins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.4% (55 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cravins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.4%), Black (29.5%), Hispanic (9.5%). 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 Cravins (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 Cravins mean?
A corruption of Cravings, possibly referring to someone with a voracious appetite. 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 Cravins (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 share the surname Cravins?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.