2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Crispens
A surname derived from a personal name meaning "curly-haired" or "crinkly."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Crispens. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crispens 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Crispens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crispens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crispens
The surname Crispens is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the medieval given name Crispin, which itself derived from the Latin word "crispus," meaning "curly-haired." The name Crispin was popularized by the legend of the Christian martyrs Crispin and Crispinian, who were said to have been shoemakers by trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Crispens can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a Robert Crispyn residing in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "Crispyn," was common during the Middle Ages and eventually evolved into the modern form of "Crispens."
In the 14th century, the Crispens surname appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Cryspyn was listed in Yorkshire. The Pipe Rolls of 1195 also mention a William Crispyn, suggesting that the name was well-established in England by the late 12th century.
Historically, the Crispens surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest documented was Sir Henry Crispe (c. 1543-1623), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1608-1609. Another prominent figure was Thomas Crispe (1600-1642), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 17th century, the name Crispens gained further recognition with the rise of Samuel Crisp (1619-1700), an English Puritan clergyman and influential religious writer. His son, Sir Nicholas Crisp (1599-1666), was a successful merchant and benefactor who helped fund the rebuilding of several churches in London after the Great Fire of 1666.
Moving into the 18th century, John Crispe (1676-1741) was a notable English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies. In the realm of literature, Thomas Crispe (1681-1749) was a respected English cleric and author, best known for his work "The Principles of Masonry Explained" (1733).
Throughout history, the Crispens surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with concentrations noted in counties such as Kent, Surrey, and Oxfordshire. While the name has evolved in its spelling over the centuries, its origins and connection to the medieval given name Crispin have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crispens
Among Census respondents with the surname Crispens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Crispens 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 Crispens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crispens
Crispens 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-12 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,170 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-7 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 18,170 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 7,993 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 Crispens 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 | #139,228 | #147,221 | -5.7% |
| Count | 120 | 113 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crispens bearers went from 120 to 113 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 7,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #147,221.
FAQ
Crispens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crispens?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Crispens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Crispens?
Crispens ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Crispens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Crispens.
Has Crispens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crispens went from 120 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Crispens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crispens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Crispens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crispens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Crispens (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 Crispens mean?
A surname derived from a personal name meaning "curly-haired" or "crinkly." 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 Crispens (0.04 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 Crispens?
See how many people have the surname Crispens on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.