2000
#7,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,974
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Croy
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Inverness-shire or from the French town of Crouy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,281 Americans carry the last name Croy. That puts it at #8,482 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,064 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Croy 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 Croy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,064
Census rank
#8,482
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,733 bearers of the surname Croy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8482nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Croy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Croy
The surname Croy originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "croi", meaning a small hill or hillock. This suggests that the name may have been a topographic name given to someone who lived near a small hill or rising ground.
The earliest known record of the name Croy dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland in 1296. One such entry mentions William de Croy, a landowner from East Lothian.
In the 14th century, the name Croy was also recorded in the nearby county of Midlothian, where a place called Croyhill or Croyhilltown existed. This place name likely originated from the same Old French root and may have been the original source of the surname.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Croy was Sir William de Croy, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was rewarded with lands in East Lothian for his loyalty and bravery.
Another prominent individual was Sir John Croy, a Scottish diplomat and statesman who served as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland in the late 15th century under King James III. He was also appointed as the first Lord Croy in 1471, establishing a noble lineage for the family.
In the 16th century, Sir James Croy (1518-1590) was a distinguished scholar and author who wrote extensively on Scottish history and theology. He served as the rector of the University of St Andrews and was a notable figure in the Scottish Reformation.
During the 17th century, the Croy family maintained their status as landowners and gentry in East Lothian. One notable member was Sir Alexander Croy (1620-1693), who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament and was a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
The surname Croy also spread to other parts of Scotland, with records indicating individuals bearing the name in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire. In the 18th century, John Croy (1711-1782) was a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Aberdeen, contributing to the city's maritime trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Croy
Among Census respondents with the surname Croy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Croy 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 Croy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 3,380
- Two or more races3.8% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Croy
Croy 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
#8,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,018
+44 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 529 places
2020
#8,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,733
-285 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,717 | 3,974 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,246 | 4,018 | 1.36 | +44 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 529 places |
| 2020 | #8,482 | 3,733 | 1.25 | -285 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 236 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 Croy 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 | #8,246 | #8,482 | -2.9% |
| Count | 4,018 | 3,733 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.25 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Croy bearers went from 4,018 to 3,733 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 236 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,246 to #8,482.
FAQ
Croy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Croy?
Name Census estimates that about 4,281 living Americans carry the surname Croy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,064 residents.
How common is Croy?
Croy ranks #8,482 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,733 people with the surname Croy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Croy.
Has Croy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Croy went from 4,018 recorded bearers to 3,733. That is a decrease of 285 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,246 to #8,482.
What does the Census say about the background of Croy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Croy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Croy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (3,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Croy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Croy (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 Croy mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Inverness-shire or from the French town of Crouy. 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 Croy (1.25 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 common is the surname Croy?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Croy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.