2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Croall
A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to a winding stream or bend in a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155 Americans carry the last name Croall. That puts it at #131,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,211,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Croall 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 Croall with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
155
1 in 2,211,318
Census rank
#131,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Croall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Croall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Croall
The surname Croall has its roots in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic word "croil," meaning "crook" or "bend," possibly referring to a person who lived near a winding river or crooked path.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Croall can be found in the Scottish Parish Records of Perth and Kinross, where a John Croall was mentioned in 1592. In the same region, there are records of a David Croall in the late 16th century, indicating the family's presence in central Scotland during that time.
The name Croall appears to have strong ties to the county of Perthshire, particularly in the areas around the town of Crieff. Several historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries mention Croalls residing in this region, suggesting it may have been a place of origin or early settlement for the family.
In the 19th century, the name gained more prominence with the birth of William Croall (1814-1899), a Scottish publisher and bookseller based in Edinburgh. His publishing house, W. Croall & Son, was responsible for printing several notable works, including Sir Walter Scott's novels and poetry.
Another significant figure bearing the Croall surname was John Croall (1850-1925), a Scottish artist and illustrator known for his etchings and paintings of rural Scottish landscapes. His works were exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy and other prestigious venues during his lifetime.
In the field of science, Robert Croall (1874-1948), a Scottish biologist and lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, made notable contributions to the study of plant physiology and the structure of plant cells.
Moving to the 20th century, James Croall (1911-1998) was a British politician who served as a Labour Member of Parliament for the Renfrewshire West constituency from 1950 to 1970.
While the surname Croall has Scottish origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its earliest documented roots and historical references remain firmly rooted in the Scottish highlands and lowlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Croall
Among Census respondents with the surname Croall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Croall 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 Croall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 127
- Two or more races3.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Croall
Croall 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
+3 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,342 places
2020
#131,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-10 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 5,342 places |
| 2020 | #131,120 | 135 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 11,612 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 Croall 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 | #119,508 | #131,120 | -9.7% |
| Count | 145 | 135 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Croall bearers went from 145 to 135 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 11,612 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #131,120.
FAQ
Croall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Croall?
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the surname Croall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,211,318 residents.
How common is Croall?
Croall ranks #131,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 135 people with the surname Croall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Croall.
Has Croall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Croall went from 145 recorded bearers to 135. That is a decrease of 10 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #119,508 to #131,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Croall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Croall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Croall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Croall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Croall (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 Croall mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to a winding stream or bend in a river. 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 Croall (0.05 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 Croall?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Croall, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.