2000
#11,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Crimmins
Derived from the Irish Ó Cruimín, meaning "descendant of Cruimín," a nickname meaning "little bent one" or "crooked one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,901 Americans carry the last name Crimmins. That puts it at #11,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,150 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crimmins 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Crimmins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,150
Census rank
#11,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,530 bearers of the surname Crimmins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crimmins, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crimmins
The surname Crimmins originated in Ireland and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Cruimin," which means "descendant of Cruimin." Cruimin was a personal name derived from the Irish word "cruimin," meaning "little stooping person."
The Crimmins name was first found in County Kilkenny, where the family was well-established as early as the 12th century. The name is also associated with County Tipperary, where some branches of the family settled.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Crimmins name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Donnchadh O'Cruimin, who was a prominent scholar and poet in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Crimmins family played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Ireland. Several members of the family, including Seán Crimmins and Séamus Crimmins, were known for their support of the rebel cause.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Anglicized spelling "Crimmins" was Patrick Crimmins, who was born in County Kilkenny in 1650. He was a wealthy landowner and a influential figure in the local community.
Another notable figure in Irish history was Seán Crimmins (1755-1833), a Catholic priest and activist who played a pivotal role in securing religious rights for Catholics in Ireland during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the literary world, John D. Crimmins (1844-1917) was an Irish-American writer and journalist who worked for several prominent newspapers in New York City. He is best known for his book "Irish Readings" and his contributions to Irish-American literature.
Bridget Crimmins (1856-1923) was a prominent figure in the labor movement in the United States. She was a leader of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and fought for better working conditions and fair wages for women in the garment industry.
Finally, Thomas Crimmins (1864-1936) was an influential Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the construction industry and was known for his generous donations to educational institutions and charitable organizations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crimmins
Among Census respondents with the surname Crimmins, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Crimmins 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 Crimmins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,318
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 115
- Two or more races1.8% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 26
- Black or African American0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crimmins
Crimmins 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
#11,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,661
+143 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 305 places
2020
#11,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,530
-131 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,473 | 2,518 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,778 | 2,661 | 0.90 | +143 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 305 places |
| 2020 | #11,833 | 2,530 | 0.85 | -131 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 55 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 Crimmins 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 | #11,778 | #11,833 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,661 | 2,530 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.85 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crimmins bearers went from 2,661 to 2,530 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,778 to #11,833.
FAQ
Crimmins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crimmins?
Name Census estimates that about 2,901 living Americans carry the surname Crimmins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,150 residents.
How common is Crimmins?
Crimmins ranks #11,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,530 people with the surname Crimmins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Crimmins.
Has Crimmins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crimmins went from 2,661 recorded bearers to 2,530. That is a decrease of 131 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,778 to #11,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Crimmins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crimmins, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Crimmins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crimmins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Crimmins (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 Crimmins mean?
Derived from the Irish Ó Cruimín, meaning "descendant of Cruimín," a nickname meaning "little bent one" or "crooked one." 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 Crimmins (0.85 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 Crimmins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.