2000
#146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158,121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 58.61
Common Last name
Crawford
Derived from a place name meaning "crow ford," referring to a crossing in a river where crows gather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182,493 Americans carry the last name Crawford. That puts it at #161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 53.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crawford 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 Crawford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
182K
1 in 1,878
Census rank
#161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
53.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159,143 bearers of the surname Crawford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 53.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crawford
The surname Crawford originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the Gaelic words 'crodh' meaning cattle and 'fuar' meaning cold, referring to the Crawford Burn, a stream in Lanarkshire.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which include the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. These rolls mention Reginald de Crauford and John de Craufurd.
The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, which record payments made to individuals with the surname Crawford. One notable entry is from 1369, referring to Sir Reginald Crawford, a Scottish knight.
In the 15th century, the Crawford family held significant power and influence in Scotland. The most notable member was David Lindsay, 5th Earl of Crawford (c. 1440-1513), a Scottish nobleman and diplomat who served as Lord High Admiral of Scotland.
Another prominent figure was William Crawford (c. 1500-1570), a Scottish religious reformer and diplomat who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Protestant faith in Scotland.
The surname also appears in various historical documents related to the Scottish Wars of Independence, with several Crawfords serving in the Scottish army against the English.
In the 17th century, the name is associated with the Crawford family of Craufurdland Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland. One notable member was Sir John Crawford (1603-1668), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
The surname Crawford has also been documented in various forms, such as Craufurd, Crauford, and Crawfurd, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crawford
Among Census respondents with the surname Crawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Crawford 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 Crawford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.1% · 105,203
- Black or African American24.7% · 39,369
- Two or more races4.6% · 7,333
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 5,174
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,090
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 974
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crawford
Crawford 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
#156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164,457
+6,336 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 55.75
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159,143
-5,314 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 53.24
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146 | 158,121 | 58.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156 | 164,457 | 55.75 | +6,336 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #161 | 159,143 | 53.24 | -5,314 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 5 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 Crawford 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 | #156 | #161 | -3.2% |
| Count | 164,457 | 159,143 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 55.75 | 53.24 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crawford bearers went from 164,457 to 159,143 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #156 to #161.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Crawford
FAQ
Crawford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crawford?
Name Census estimates that about 182,493 living Americans carry the surname Crawford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,878 residents.
How common is Crawford?
Crawford ranks #161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 53.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 53 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 159,143 people with the surname Crawford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 53.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 53.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 53 of them to have the surname Crawford.
Has Crawford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crawford went from 164,457 recorded bearers to 159,143. That is a decrease of 5,314 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #156 to #161.
What does the Census say about the background of Crawford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Crawford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (105,203 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crawford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.1%), Black (24.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Crawford (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 Crawford mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "crow ford," referring to a crossing in a river where crows gather. 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 Crawford (53.24 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 Americans have the surname Crawford?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.