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

Crichton, 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 Crichton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crichton in America

Crichton is the 15777th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crichton surname appeared 1,847 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 Crichton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crichton 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 Crichton

The surname Crichton has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "crìch" meaning boundary and "tun" meaning farm or settlement, suggesting a location near a border or territorial limit. The name is associated with the Crichton family, who held lands in Midlothian, Scotland.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists William de Crichton as a landowner who swore fealty to Edward I of England. In the 14th century, Sir William Crichton was a prominent Scottish nobleman and Lord Chancellor of Scotland under King James II.

The Crichton name is also linked to the historic Crichton Castle, located in Midlothian, which was the ancestral seat of the Crichton family for centuries. The castle dates back to the 14th century and played a significant role in Scottish history, hosting several notable events and figures.

In the 16th century, Robert Crichton of Eliok (c. 1520 - c. 1580) was a Scottish nobleman and Lord Advocate of Scotland, known for his involvement in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Another notable figure was James Crichton (c. 1560 - 1582), also known as "The Admirable Crichton," a Scottish scholar, polymath, and talented swordsman.

The surname Crichton has also been associated with several other historical figures, including Sir Evan Crichton (c. 1540 - c. 1619), a Scottish military commander and diplomat, and Andrew Crichton (c. 1790 - 1855), a Scottish naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions.

Throughout its history, the Crichton surname has been spelled in various ways, including Creighton, Crighton, and Creychtoun, reflecting the regional variations and evolving spellings over time. The name has also been linked to several place names, such as Crichton in Midlothian and Crichton in Dumfries and Galloway, further emphasizing its Scottish origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crichton

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

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

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

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