Find out how popular the last name Crook is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Crook.

Crook, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Crook surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crook in America

Crook is the 2484th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crook surname appeared 14,526 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Crook.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crook to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Crook

The surname Crook is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "croc" or "croc-a," which referred to a hook or a crooked bend, such as in a river or road. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a crooked or winding geographic feature.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the late 12th century in various English counties, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. Some of the earliest known bearers of this name include William Croc, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, and Robert Croc, recorded in the Assize Court Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Croc, Crok, Croke, and Crook, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention individuals with the surname Croc and Crok, indicating its widespread use across England.

One notable early bearer of this surname was Sir John Crook (c. 1315-1380), a prominent English landowner and military commander who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and was knighted for his valiant service.

In the 16th century, the surname Crook appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1524, which listed a Thomas Crook. Another notable individual with this surname was Sir John Crook (c. 1530-1609), a wealthy English merchant and MP for Bristol in the late Elizabethan era.

During the 17th century, the surname was found in various parts of England, including London, where John Crook (1617-1699) was a prominent Quaker preacher and writer. He was imprisoned several times for his religious beliefs and wrote extensively on Quaker theology.

In the 18th century, the name Crook was associated with several notable figures, including William Crook (1699-1769), an English mathematician and inventor who worked on improving the design of telescopes and other optical instruments. Another prominent individual was John Crook (1738-1816), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a colonial administrator in New South Wales, Australia.

The 19th century saw the surname Crook continuing to be present in various fields, including literature and politics. One notable bearer was Joseph Crook (1825-1888), an English novelist and playwright who wrote several popular works in the Victorian era.

Throughout its history, the surname Crook has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting its widespread use and distribution across England over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crook

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Crook.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Crook was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Crook has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Crook was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Crook, please contact us.

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