2000
#12,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Crespin
Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town with a similar name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,058 Americans carry the last name Crespin. That puts it at #11,315 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crespin 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
3.1K
1 in 112,084
Census rank
#11,315
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,667 bearers of the surname Crespin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11315th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crespin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crespin
The surname Crespin originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "crespe," meaning "crisp" or "curly," and was likely given as a nickname to someone with curly hair or a similar physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Crespin can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Crispinus," which was a Latin variation of the French Crespin.
In the 12th century, the name Crespin was documented in various regions of France, including Normandy and the Île-de-France. During this period, the name was also found in its variant spellings, such as "Crespin," "Crispin," and "Crispyn."
A notable figure bearing the surname Crespin was Crispin de Viterbe, a 13th-century Franciscan friar and preacher from Italy. He is known for his contributions to the spread of the Franciscan order and his popular sermons.
Another historical figure with the surname Crespin was François Crespin, a 16th-century French Protestant writer and theologian (1520-1572). He is best known for his work "Le livre des Martyrs," which documented the persecution of Protestants in France during the Reformation.
In England, the name Crespin was introduced after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was Sir John Crespin, a 13th-century knight and landowner from Oxfordshire.
The name Crespin was also present in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Low Countries. For instance, Hans Crespin was a 16th-century German painter and engraver (c. 1500-1564), known for his religious artwork.
Another notable bearer of the surname Crespin was Jean Crespin, a 16th-century French Protestant printer and publisher (c. 1520-1572). He played a crucial role in the dissemination of Protestant literature during the Reformation.
Throughout history, the surname Crespin has been associated with various place names, such as Crespin in the Pas-de-Calais region of France and Crespino in the province of Rovigo, Italy. These place names likely derived from the same root as the surname, reflecting the curly or crisp nature of the local terrain or vegetation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crespin
Among Census respondents with the surname Crespin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Crespin 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 Crespin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.6% · 2,150
- White12.6% · 336
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.9% · 131
- Two or more races0.9% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crespin
Crespin 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
#11,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,734
+466 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 1,029 places
2020
#11,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,667
-67 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,533 | 2,268 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,504 | 2,734 | 0.93 | +466 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 1,029 places |
| 2020 | #11,315 | 2,667 | 0.89 | -67 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 189 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 Crespin 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 | #11,504 | #11,315 | 1.6% |
| Count | 2,734 | 2,667 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.89 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crespin bearers went from 2,734 to 2,667 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,504 to #11,315.
FAQ
Crespin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crespin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,058 living Americans carry the surname Crespin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,084 residents.
How common is Crespin?
Crespin ranks #11,315 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,667 people with the surname Crespin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Crespin.
Has Crespin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crespin went from 2,734 recorded bearers to 2,667. That is a decrease of 67 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,504 to #11,315.
What does the Census say about the background of Crespin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crespin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Crespin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (2,150 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crespin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.6%), White (12.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.9%). 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 Crespin (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 Crespin mean?
Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town with a similar name. 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 Crespin (0.89 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 Crespin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.