2000
#9,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Cripe
Derived from a medieval nickname for someone with curly hair, from the Middle English word "crisp," meaning curly.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,703 Americans carry the last name Cripe. That puts it at #9,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,561 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cripe 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
3.7K
1 in 92,561
Census rank
#9,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,229 bearers of the surname Cripe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cripe
The surname "CRIPE" has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old English word "cribb," which referred to a manger or a small habitation. The name likely evolved as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or worked with a manger or a small dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Willelmus Cribe is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have originated in the county of Oxfordshire.
Throughout the centuries, the name has been recorded with various spellings, such as Cribe, Crybbe, and Cribbe, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. Some historical records also suggest that the name may have been associated with certain place names, such as Cribbeshouse or Cribbes, although the exact connections are not entirely clear.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Cripe was Thomas Cripe (c. 1520 - 1590), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. He is recorded as having acquired substantial property holdings in the area during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was John Cripe (1635 - 1712), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Northamptonshire. His published works include "A Treatise on the Light Within" and "A Discourse on the Inward Light," which expounded upon Quaker beliefs and teachings.
In the 18th century, a family of Cripes settled in the American colonies, with William Cripe (1725 - 1802) being one of the earliest recorded members. He was a farmer who established a homestead in Pennsylvania, and his descendants went on to spread across various states in the following decades.
The surname Cripe was also associated with a notable military figure, Major General John Cripe (1794 - 1872), who served in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the surname Cripe has maintained a relatively modest presence, yet it has been carried by individuals who have contributed to various fields, including commerce, religion, agriculture, and military service. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, its legacy has been woven into the fabric of both British and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cripe
Among Census respondents with the surname Cripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cripe 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 Cripe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,972
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 119
- Two or more races2.9% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cripe
Cripe 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
#9,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,419
+152 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 326 places
2020
#9,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,229
-190 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,180 | 3,267 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,506 | 3,419 | 1.16 | +152 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 326 places |
| 2020 | #9,616 | 3,229 | 1.08 | -190 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 110 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 Cripe 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 | #9,506 | #9,616 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,419 | 3,229 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.08 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cripe bearers went from 3,419 to 3,229 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 110 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,506 to #9,616.
FAQ
Cripe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cripe?
Name Census estimates that about 3,703 living Americans carry the surname Cripe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,561 residents.
How common is Cripe?
Cripe ranks #9,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,229 people with the surname Cripe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,703), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Cripe.
Has Cripe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cripe went from 3,419 recorded bearers to 3,229. That is a decrease of 190 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,506 to #9,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Cripe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cripe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,972 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cripe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Cripe (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 Cripe mean?
Derived from a medieval nickname for someone with curly hair, from the Middle English word "crisp," meaning curly. 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 Cripe (1.08 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 common is the surname Cripe?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Cripe? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.