2000
#4,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.85
Rare Last name
Cromwell
From a place meaning "well of the crows" or "well of the cranes" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,892 Americans carry the last name Cromwell. That puts it at #4,435 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,546 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cromwell 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 Cromwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,546
Census rank
#4,435
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,754 bearers of the surname Cromwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4435th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cromwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cromwell
The surname Cromwell originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "crum" meaning "crooked" and "well" meaning "stream" or "spring". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a winding stream or river.
One of the earliest records of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Crumawelle" in Suffolk. Similar early spellings include "Cromewell", "Crumwelle", and "Cromwelle". The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Huntingdonshire.
A notable early bearer of the name was Ralph de Cromwell, a 13th-century Baron who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another early figure was John Cromwell, a 14th-century Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire.
The name gained significant prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries with Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the English military and political leader who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His descendants, including his son Richard Cromwell (1626-1712), also played important roles in English history.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cromwell include Thomas Cromwell (c. 1485-1540), an influential minister in the court of King Henry VIII, and James Cromwell (born 1940), the American actor known for roles in films such as "Babe" and "L.A. Confidential".
The name Cromwell has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Cromwell in Nottinghamshire and Cromwell Bottom in West Yorkshire, further reflecting its long-standing presence in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cromwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cromwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cromwell 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 Cromwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.5% · 5,001
- Black or African American23.5% · 1,821
- Two or more races5.5% · 425
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 292
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cromwell
Cromwell 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
#4,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,087
+400 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Down 130 places
2020
#4,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,754
-333 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,267 | 7,687 | 2.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,397 | 8,087 | 2.74 | +400 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 130 places |
| 2020 | #4,435 | 7,754 | 2.59 | -333 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 38 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 Cromwell 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 | #4,397 | #4,435 | -0.9% |
| Count | 8,087 | 7,754 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.59 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cromwell bearers went from 8,087 to 7,754 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,397 to #4,435.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cromwell
FAQ
Cromwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cromwell?
Name Census estimates that about 8,892 living Americans carry the surname Cromwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,546 residents.
How common is Cromwell?
Cromwell ranks #4,435 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.59 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 7,754 people with the surname Cromwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,892), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.59 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 Cromwell.
Has Cromwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cromwell went from 8,087 recorded bearers to 7,754. That is a decrease of 333 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,397 to #4,435.
What does the Census say about the background of Cromwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cromwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Cromwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.5% (5,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cromwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.5%), Black (23.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Cromwell (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 Cromwell mean?
From a place meaning "well of the crows" or "well of the cranes" in Old English. 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 Cromwell (2.59 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 Cromwell?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Cromwell is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.