2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Croake
A surname derived from Anglo-Norman French meaning "crooked" or "bent."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Croake. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Croake 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Croake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Croake, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Croake
The surname "Croake" is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Irish Gaelic word "cróc," which means "saffron" or "yellow." The name likely referred to someone with a yellowish complexion or hair color.
In early records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Cróc," "Croc," and "Croke." One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Croac" in the year 1171.
The Croake surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Croke (c. 1490-1554), an English judge and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Sir John Croke (1553-1620), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons.
In Ireland, the Croake family had a strong presence in County Cork, particularly in the area around the town of Midleton. One notable member of this branch was Richard Croake (1701-1778), a wealthy landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.
Other historical figures bearing the Croake surname include William Croke (1775-1842), an Irish Catholic bishop who played a significant role in the Catholic Emancipation movement, and Thomas Croke (1824-1902), an Irish Catholic archbishop and a prominent advocate for Irish nationalism.
It is worth noting that the name "Croake" has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Crokepark, a townland in County Cork, and Croketown, a village in County Kilkenny. These place names may have derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the deep connection between the Croake family and certain regions of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Croake
Among Census respondents with the surname Croake, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Croake 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 Croake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Croake
Croake 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+9 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 936 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-14 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,378 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 936 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 14,378 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 Croake 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 | #131,379 | #145,757 | -10.9% |
| Count | 129 | 115 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Croake bearers went from 129 to 115 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 14,378 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #145,757.
FAQ
Croake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Croake?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Croake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Croake?
Croake ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Croake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Croake.
Has Croake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Croake went from 129 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Croake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Croake, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Croake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Croake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Croake (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 Croake mean?
A surname derived from Anglo-Norman French meaning "crooked" or "bent." 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 Croake (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 are called Croake?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Croake on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.