2000
#3,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.75
Uncommon Last name
Crist
A surname of English origin derived from a reduced form of the given name Christian or Christopher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,390 Americans carry the last name Crist. That puts it at #3,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,093 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crist 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 Crist with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,093
Census rank
#3,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,933 bearers of the surname Crist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crist
The surname Crist originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "crist," which means "anointed one" and refers to Jesus Christ. This name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone who was particularly religious or devout.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Crist surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Cristian" in this record, indicating that it was already in use during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a man named William Crist was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for the county of Essex in 1202. This legal document recorded the transfer of land ownership, suggesting that the Crist family had established themselves in that region by this time.
During the 14th century, the surname appears to have spread to other parts of England. For example, in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire, a John Crist is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name had become more widespread by this period.
One notable individual with the Crist surname was Sir Henry Crist (1556-1627), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1618 and was knighted by King James I in recognition of his service.
Another prominent figure with this last name was John Crist (1770-1855), an English clergyman and author. He was the rector of St. Mary's Church in Buckinghamshire and wrote several books on religious subjects.
In the 19th century, the Crist surname also appeared in the United States, likely due to immigration from England. One notable American with this name was William Crist (1819-1883), a politician and lawyer who served as a United States Congressman from Virginia from 1875 to 1877.
Other historical figures with the Crist surname include German painter Johann Baptist Crist (1825-1891), known for his religious and mythological paintings, and American baseball player Harry Crist (1885-1954), who played for the New York Giants in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crist
Among Census respondents with the surname Crist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Crist 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 Crist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 9,057
- Two or more races3.2% · 314
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 304
- Black or African American1.6% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crist
Crist 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
#3,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,518
+396 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Down 160 places
2020
#3,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,933
-585 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,241 | 10,122 | 3.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,401 | 10,518 | 3.57 | +396 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 160 places |
| 2020 | #3,500 | 9,933 | 3.32 | -585 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 99 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 Crist 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 | #3,401 | #3,500 | -2.9% |
| Count | 10,518 | 9,933 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.32 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crist bearers went from 10,518 to 9,933 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,401 to #3,500.
FAQ
Crist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crist?
Name Census estimates that about 11,390 living Americans carry the surname Crist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,093 residents.
How common is Crist?
Crist ranks #3,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,933 people with the surname Crist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,390), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Crist.
Has Crist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crist went from 10,518 recorded bearers to 9,933. That is a decrease of 585 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,401 to #3,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Crist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Crist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (9,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Crist (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 Crist mean?
A surname of English origin derived from a reduced form of the given name Christian or Christopher. 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 Crist (3.32 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 Crist?
You can see how common the surname Crist is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.