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

Crooks, 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 Crooks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crooks in America

Crooks is the 3489th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crooks surname appeared 10,244 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Crooks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crooks 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 Crooks

The surname Crooks has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'croc', which means 'a crooked person' or someone who lived near a bend or crook in a road or river.

One of the earliest known records of the name Crooks appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Croc'. This suggests that the name was already established in England before the Norman Conquest.

The name Crooks was initially more prevalent in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed that the name may have been associated with place names such as Crookhill, Crookham, or Crooklands, which all contain the Old English word 'croc'.

One notable bearer of the Crooks surname was John Crooks (c. 1505-1559), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey in Lincolnshire. Another notable figure was Sir John Crooks (1630-1699), a British merchant and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the establishment of the Bank of England.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, several variations of the name appeared, such as Crookes, Crook, and Crookys. However, the spelling 'Crooks' became more standardized over time.

The Crooks surname also has a presence in Scotland, where it may have originated as a nickname or as a variant of the Scottish surname 'Crook'. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was William Crooks (1828-1897), a Scottish-born American minister and educator who co-founded the University of Denver.

Another prominent individual with the Crooks surname was Will D. Crooks (1852-1921), an English trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the Labour movement in the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Crooks has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to medieval England. It has been borne by notable figures across various fields, including religion, politics, and commerce, and continues to be a distinctive surname today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crooks

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

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 Crooks 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 Crooks 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 Crooks was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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