2000
#2,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,581
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.66
Uncommon Last name
Crisp
An English occupational surname referring to someone who curled or crimped hair or fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,794 Americans carry the last name Crisp. That puts it at #2,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,848 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crisp 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 Crisp with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,848
Census rank
#2,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,029 bearers of the surname Crisp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crisp, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crisp
Among Census respondents with the surname Crisp, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Crisp 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 Crisp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 9,527
- Black or African American11.4% · 1,368
- Two or more races4.9% · 588
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 385
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 79
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crisp
Crisp 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
#2,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,741
+160 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 4.32
Rank movement Down 190 places
2020
#2,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,029
-712 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Down 91 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,640 | 12,581 | 4.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,830 | 12,741 | 4.32 | +160 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 190 places |
| 2020 | #2,921 | 12,029 | 4.02 | -712 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 91 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 Crisp 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 | #2,830 | #2,921 | -3.2% |
| Count | 12,741 | 12,029 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.32 | 4.02 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crisp bearers went from 12,741 to 12,029 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 91 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,830 to #2,921.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Crisp
FAQ
Crisp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crisp?
Name Census estimates that about 13,794 living Americans carry the surname Crisp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,848 residents.
How common is Crisp?
Crisp ranks #2,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,029 people with the surname Crisp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,794), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Crisp.
Has Crisp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crisp went from 12,741 recorded bearers to 12,029. That is a decrease of 712 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,830 to #2,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Crisp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crisp, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Crisp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (9,527 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crisp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Black (11.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Crisp (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 Crisp mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who curled or crimped hair or fabric. 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 Crisp (4.02 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 people have the last name Crisp?
See how many Americans have the surname Crisp on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.