2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Crelly
An anglicized spelling of the Irish surname Ó Crialláin, meaning "descendant of Criallán".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Crelly. 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 Crelly 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 Crelly 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 Crelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crelly
The surname Crelly is of English origin, deriving from the Anglo-Saxon term "crael" or "crelli," which referred to a small stream or brook. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name for someone who resided near such a waterway. The earliest known references to this name date back to the 13th century in various county records across southern England.
One notable mention of the Crelly name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William Crelli is listed as a landowner. This suggests the name was already well-established by that time. A similar spelling, "Crellie," appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, indicating the name's presence in that region as well.
The Crelly surname is thought to have ties to the village of Crelly in Wiltshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Credelie." This ancient place name is derived from the Old English words "crydel" (a small valley) and "leah" (a clearing in a woodland), further reinforcing the name's connection to geographic features.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the Crelly surname was John Crelly, a merchant and landowner who lived in Exeter, Devon, in the late 15th century. Records show he was born around 1460 and died in 1522. Another notable figure was Richard Crelly, a scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon from 1586 to 1619.
During the 17th century, the Crelly name gained prominence in Yorkshire, where a family of that name held significant landholdings. One member, Thomas Crelly (1625-1698), was a prominent magistrate and member of the gentry in the town of Beverley.
Another individual of note was Captain William Crelly (1729-1801), a naval officer who served in the British Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was commended for his bravery and leadership in several engagements against the French and Spanish fleets.
In the 19th century, the artist and illustrator Emily Crelly (1839-1912) gained recognition for her intricate botanical illustrations and watercolor paintings, many of which were featured in publications and exhibitions across England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crelly
Among Census respondents with the surname Crelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Crelly 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 Crelly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 105
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crelly
Crelly 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,191 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,191 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,081 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 Crelly 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 | #139,228 | #141,309 | -1.5% |
| Count | 120 | 121 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crelly bearers went from 120 to 121 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #141,309.
FAQ
Crelly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crelly?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Crelly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Crelly?
Crelly 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 Crelly. 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 Crelly.
Has Crelly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crelly went from 120 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Crelly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Crelly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crelly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Black (1.7%). 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 Crelly (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 Crelly mean?
An anglicized spelling of the Irish surname Ó Crialláin, meaning "descendant of Criallán". 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 Crelly (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 common is the surname Crelly?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Crelly at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.