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

Crisp, 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 Crisp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crisp in America

Crisp is the 2830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crisp surname appeared 12,741 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Crisp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crisp 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 Crisp

The surname Crisp originated in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "crisp," which means "curly" or "crisp." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone with curly hair or a crisp, brisk demeanor.

The earliest known record of the name Crisp dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Crispin." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have had Norman-French influences as well. Over time, the surname evolved into its modern form, "Crisp."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir William Crisp, a prominent landowner in Kent, England, who lived in the 13th century. In the 14th century, there are records of a Richard Crisp, a merchant from London, who was involved in the wool trade.

During the Tudor period, the Crisp family held significant influence in Suffolk, England. John Crisp (1590-1663) was a prominent Puritan minister and a member of the Westminster Assembly, which played a crucial role in the English Civil War and the establishment of the Commonwealth.

Another notable figure was Samuel Crisp (1619-1700), an English Particular Baptist minister known for his writings on the doctrine of free grace. He was a vocal opponent of the Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement.

In the 18th century, Sir Nicholas Crisp (1699-1780) was a prominent politician and served as the Member of Parliament for Winchelsea, Sussex. He was also a respected architect and designed several buildings in London.

The Crisp name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Crisp's Farm in Kent and Crisp's Green in Hertfordshire. These place names likely originated from families bearing the Crisp surname who owned or lived in those areas.

Throughout history, the Crisp surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, ministers, politicians, and architects. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crisp

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!