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

Crawley, 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 Crawley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crawley in America

Crawley is the 2874th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crawley surname appeared 12,523 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Crawley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crawley 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 Crawley

The surname Crawley has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "craw" and "leah," which translates to "crow meadow" or "crow clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where crows gathered or nested.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Crawley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Crauleia." This entry is thought to refer to a settlement in the county of Bedfordshire, which later became known as the town of Crawley.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, including Crauueleye, Crawelegh, and Crawley, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time. These variations often corresponded to different regions or local dialects.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Crawley was Sir John Crawley (c. 1265 - 1324), a knight and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a member of parliament and held various positions of authority in the region.

Another prominent individual with the Crawley name was Richard Crawley (c. 1540 - 1616), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral. He is remembered for his contributions to theological discourse and his role in the translation of the King James Version of the Bible.

In the 18th century, Samuel Crawley (1705 - 1780) gained recognition as a skilled architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the church of St. Mary Woolnoth and the Foundling Hospital.

The surname Crawley has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Crawley Down in West Sussex and Crawley Green in Buckinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations in British history.

Another significant figure bearing the Crawley name was Richard Crawley (1840 - 1893), a renowned translator and scholar of Greek and Sanskrit literature. His translations of works by Homer, Aeschylus, and the ancient Indian epic Ramayana are widely acclaimed and have contributed to the understanding of these literary masterpieces in the English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crawley

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

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 Crawley 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 Crawley 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 Crawley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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