2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Croix
A surname derived from the French word meaning "cross".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Croix. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Croix 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Croix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Croix, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Croix
The surname Croix has its origins in France, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the French word "croix," meaning "cross." This connection to the Christian symbol suggests that the name may have originated among families who lived near a prominent cross or roadside crucifix.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Croix can be found in the 13th century Cartulary of Notre-Dame de Paris, which mentions a person named Radulphus de la Croix. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 1200s, likely as a descriptive reference to a location or landmark associated with a cross.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various documents, including the Rolls of Parliament and the Patent Rolls. For instance, a record from 1347 mentions a John de la Croix who was granted land in Buckinghamshire, England. This suggests that the name had spread beyond France by this time, possibly carried by Norman settlers after the conquest of England in 1066.
During the Renaissance period, the name Croix became more prominent, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One of the most famous was Petrus de Cruce (Pierre de la Croix), a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1290 to 1344. He was a renowned scholar at the University of Paris and wrote extensively on metaphysics and logic.
Another prominent figure was Jean de la Croix (John of the Cross), a Spanish mystic and Carmelite friar who lived from 1542 to 1591. He was a major figure in the Counter-Reformation and is revered as a Doctor of the Church for his influential writings on spirituality and mystical theology.
In the 17th century, the name Croix appeared in various forms, including de la Croix, de Cruce, and de Crucis. One notable bearer was Philippe de la Croix, a French composer and organist who lived from 1625 to 1695. He served as the organist at the Royal Chapel in Paris and composed numerous works for the organ and harpsichord.
During the 18th century, the name Croix was found in various parts of Europe, including France, Belgium, and Germany. One notable individual was François Pétis de la Croix, a French orientalist and translator who lived from 1653 to 1713. He was renowned for his translations of Persian and Arabic literature, including the famous collection of stories known as "The Thousand and One Nights."
As the centuries progressed, the name Croix continued to be associated with various prominent figures, including artists, scholars, and military leaders. While its roots can be traced back to medieval France, the surname has since spread globally, reflecting the diverse cultural and geographic influences that have shaped its history over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Croix
Among Census respondents with the surname Croix, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Croix 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 Croix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 92
- Black or African American11.4% · 13
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Croix
Croix 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,211 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,211 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,355 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 Croix 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 | #141,140 | #146,495 | -3.8% |
| Count | 118 | 114 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Croix bearers went from 118 to 114 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #146,495.
FAQ
Croix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Croix?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Croix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Croix?
Croix ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Croix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Croix.
Has Croix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Croix went from 118 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Croix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Croix, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Croix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Croix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Black (11.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Croix (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 Croix mean?
A surname derived from the French word meaning "cross". 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 Croix (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 Croix?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Croix on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.