2000
#10,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Cron
A surname derived from the Irish Ó Cróin, meaning "descendant of Crón," a nickname meaning "saffron-colored" or "swarthy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,385 Americans carry the last name Cron. That puts it at #13,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,713 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cron 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 Cron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,713
Census rank
#13,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,080 bearers of the surname Cron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cron, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cron
The surname CRON is believed to have originated in Scotland, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "cron," meaning "swarthy" or "dark-complexioned," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive nickname initially used to identify someone with a darker skin tone.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1367, where a person named William Cron is mentioned. This entry provides evidence that the surname was already in use during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1545, which mentions a John Cron. This suggests that the surname had spread and become more established within Scottish communities by this time.
The CRON surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was William Cron (1738-1820), a Scottish poet and songwriter known for his contributions to the literary tradition of the Scottish Lowlands. His works, including "The Maid of Callender" and "The Miller's Daughter," gained popularity during his lifetime and helped preserve the cultural heritage of his region.
Another figure of note was John Cron (1793-1867), a Scottish architect who designed several important buildings in Glasgow, including the Hutchesons' Hospital and the Royal Infirmary. His architectural legacy can still be appreciated in the city's skyline today.
In the 19th century, the CRON surname found its way to North America, with Alexander Cron (1820-1892) being one of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name in the United States. He was a Scottish immigrant who settled in Ohio and worked as a farmer, contributing to the agricultural development of the region.
Furthermore, the CRON surname has been associated with several place names, including Cronhill in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and Cronberry Hill in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. These locations may have had some connection to individuals bearing the surname in the past, although the exact origins of the place names are uncertain.
While the CRON surname has a rich history rooted in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals of Scottish descent and others who have adopted the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cron
Among Census respondents with the surname Cron, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cron 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 Cron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 1,824
- Two or more races5.0% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- Black or African American1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cron
Cron 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
#12,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
-557 bearers (-19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 2,841 places
2020
#13,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,080
-286 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 916 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,137 | 2,923 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,978 | 2,366 | 0.80 | -557 bearers (-19.1%) | Down 2,841 places |
| 2020 | #13,894 | 2,080 | 0.70 | -286 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 916 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 Cron 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 | #12,978 | #13,894 | -7.1% |
| Count | 2,366 | 2,080 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.70 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cron bearers went from 2,366 to 2,080 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 916 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,978 to #13,894.
FAQ
Cron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cron?
Name Census estimates that about 2,385 living Americans carry the surname Cron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,713 residents.
How common is Cron?
Cron ranks #13,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,080 people with the surname Cron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cron.
Has Cron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cron went from 2,366 recorded bearers to 2,080. That is a decrease of 286 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,978 to #13,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Cron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cron, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Cron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (1,824 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Cron (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 Cron mean?
A surname derived from the Irish Ó Cróin, meaning "descendant of Crón," a nickname meaning "saffron-colored" or "swarthy." 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 Cron (0.70 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 Americans have the surname Cron?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.