2000
#11,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,607
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Crothers
Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ruaidhrí," meaning "son of Ruaidhrí" (a personal name meaning "red king" or "great king").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,796 Americans carry the last name Crothers. That puts it at #12,194 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,587 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crothers 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 Crothers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,587
Census rank
#12,194
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,438 bearers of the surname Crothers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12194th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crothers
The surname Crothers has its origins in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "croft," which referred to a small farm or land holding. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived on or worked a croft.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Crofter, Croftare, and Croftyr appearing in medieval records and charters. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.
In the 14th century, the name Crothers can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish noblemen and landowners to Edward I of England in 1296. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Scottish Borders region by this time.
One notable historical figure bearing the Crothers surname was John Crothers, a Scottish clergyman and theologian who lived in the late 16th century. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilrenny in Fife and was known for his writings on religious matters.
Another prominent individual with this surname was William Crothers (1650-1720), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the early settlement of Ulster, Ireland. He acquired substantial land holdings in County Antrim and was instrumental in the development of the town of Ballymoney.
In the 18th century, Samuel Crothers (1776-1854) was a Scottish-born farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the local community.
Moving into the 19th century, Rachel Crothers (1878-1958) was an American playwright and theatre director. She wrote several successful plays, including "A Little Journey" and "He and She," and was known for her exploration of gender roles and social issues.
Another notable figure from this period was Robert Crothers (1836-1912), a Canadian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and railway construction.
Throughout its history, the Crothers surname has been associated with various place names and localities in Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the migration patterns of those bearing the name. These include Crothersfield, Crothersholm, and Crothershill, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crothers
Among Census respondents with the surname Crothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Crothers 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 Crothers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 2,129
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 126
- Two or more races3.7% · 89
- Black or African American3.1% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crothers
Crothers 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
#11,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,713
+106 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 423 places
2020
#12,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,438
-275 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 609 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,162 | 2,607 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,585 | 2,713 | 0.92 | +106 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 423 places |
| 2020 | #12,194 | 2,438 | 0.82 | -275 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 609 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 Crothers 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 | #11,585 | #12,194 | -5.3% |
| Count | 2,713 | 2,438 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.82 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crothers bearers went from 2,713 to 2,438 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 609 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,585 to #12,194.
FAQ
Crothers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crothers?
Name Census estimates that about 2,796 living Americans carry the surname Crothers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,587 residents.
How common is Crothers?
Crothers ranks #12,194 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,438 people with the surname Crothers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,796), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Crothers.
Has Crothers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crothers went from 2,713 recorded bearers to 2,438. That is a decrease of 275 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,585 to #12,194.
What does the Census say about the background of Crothers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Crothers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (2,129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crothers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Crothers (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 Crothers mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ruaidhrí," meaning "son of Ruaidhrí" (a personal name meaning "red king" or "great king"). 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 Crothers (0.82 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 Crothers?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.