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

Cruell, 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 Cruell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cruell in America

Cruell is the 63524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cruell surname appeared 314 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cruell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cruell 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 Cruell

The surname CRUELL has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "cruel," which means "cruel" or "harsh." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a particularly harsh or unyielding personality.

The earliest recorded instance of the name CRUELL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273, where it is spelled "Cruelle." This document lists a John Cruelle as residing in the village of Eaton Socon.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1301, where a William Cruelle is mentioned as paying taxes in the village of Greasley. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name CRUELL appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences between members of the influential Paston family of Norfolk. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a Thomas Cruell who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

Notably, the CRUELL surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling is slightly different – "Cruelle." This entry records a landowner named Roger Cruelle who held estates in Warwickshire.

Some notable individuals with the surname CRUELL throughout history include:

1. John Cruell (c. 1400 - 1465), an English churchman who served as Bishop of Llandaff from 1459 until his death.
2. Elizabeth Cruell (c. 1520 - 1585), a wealthy landowner in Gloucestershire who was known for her philanthropy and support of local churches.
3. Thomas Cruell (1579 - 1627), an English poet and playwright who authored several works during the Jacobean era.
4. William Cruell (1650 - 1720), a merchant and ship owner from Bristol who made his fortune in the West Indies trade.
5. Mary Cruell (1768 - 1843), a noted botanist and illustrator from Yorkshire who contributed to several influential botanical publications of her time.

The CRUELL surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Cruelborough in Wiltshire and Cruelton in Berkshire, although the exact origins of these place names and their connection to the surname are unclear.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cruell

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

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

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

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