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

Creswell, 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 Creswell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Creswell in America

Creswell is the 12188th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Creswell surname appeared 2,556 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 Creswell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Creswell 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 Creswell

The surname Creswell is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a "well or spring on a hill crest." The name is thought to have originated in the county of Derbyshire during the Anglo-Saxon period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cressuuelle" in Derbyshire. This suggests the surname has its roots in the 11th century or earlier.

In the 13th century, various spellings of the name can be found in old records, such as "Creswelle," "Cressewell," and "Creswall." These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling of surnames during that time.

The first recorded bearer of the surname was William de Creswell, who lived in Derbyshire in the late 12th century. Another early notable figure was Sir Hugh Creswell, a knight who fought in the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 during the Glyndŵr Rising against King Henry IV.

During the 16th century, the surname Creswell spread to other parts of England, particularly the counties of Staffordshire and Yorkshire. One notable bearer from this period was Sir Creswell Levinz (1627-1701), an English judge and lawyer who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas.

In the 17th century, the surname found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers with the name was Thomas Creswell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Joseph Creswell (1743-1831), a British-born American portrait painter known for his works depicting prominent figures of the American Revolution.

As the surname spread across the English-speaking world, it gave rise to various place names, such as Creswell in Derbyshire and Creswell in Staffordshire. These places likely derived their names from the original bearers of the Creswell surname who settled in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Creswell throughout history include Lavinia Creswell (1794-1871), a British author and poet; Samuel Creswell (1865-1941), an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire; and Esther Creswell (1915-2010), an American children's book author known for her works featuring the character "Ollie the Owl."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Creswell

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

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

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

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