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

Cresswell, 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 Cresswell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cresswell in America

Cresswell is the 16470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cresswell surname appeared 1,745 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cresswell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cresswell 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 Cresswell

The surname Cresswell is of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "the stream where watercress grows." It is believed to have originated in Northumberland or Durham in the north of England during the 12th century.

The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "cresse" meaning watercress and "well" meaning a spring or stream. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name lived near a stream or spring where watercress grew abundantly.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Cresswell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland, a census-like record from the late 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Durham from the same period, indicating its presence in both counties.

In the 14th century, a John de Cresswell is recorded as holding lands in Northumberland, and a William de Cresswell is mentioned in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Durham in the late 16th century. These early records demonstrate the surname's longstanding association with the northeastern regions of England.

Notable individuals who have borne the surname Cresswell throughout history include:

1. Richard Cresswell (c.1576-1623), an English clergyman and religious writer.
2. Samuel Cresswell (1635-1674), an English nonconformist minister and ejected minister.
3. John Cresswell (1768-1837), an English poet and writer.
4. Julia Cresswell (1827-1903), an English novelist and playwright.
5. Alfred Cresswell Baker (1833-1891), an English architect and surveyor.

The name Cresswell has also been associated with various place names, such as Cresswell in Northumberland and Cresswell Quay in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its geographical roots in England.

While the surname has spread across the English-speaking world, its origins can be traced back to the watercress-lined streams of northern England, where the earliest bearers of the name lived and worked centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cresswell

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

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

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

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