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

Cruickshank, 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 Cruickshank surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cruickshank in America

Cruickshank is the 14215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cruickshank surname appeared 2,111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cruickshank.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cruickshank 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 Cruickshank

The surname Cruickshank has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "cruic," meaning "bent" or "crooked," and "shank," referring to a leg or shank. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a deformed or crooked leg.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Gillebrid Cruikshanks, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The Cruickshank name appeared in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in the 16th century.

One notable Cruickshank was Alexander Cruickshank (c. 1609-1675), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as a regent at the University of St. Andrews and later as a minister in the parishes of Logy and Arbirlot.

Another prominent figure with this surname was William Cruickshank (1745-1800), a Scottish philosopher and author who wrote extensively on logic and metaphysics. He served as Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Marischal College in Aberdeen.

In the 19th century, Robert Cruickshank (1789-1856) was a Scottish naval officer and explorer who conducted surveys of the coasts of South America and the Arctic regions. He also served as the Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1833 to 1834.

John Cruickshank (1857-1925) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and was involved in various mining and agricultural ventures.

Lastly, John Cruickshank (1926-2016) was a Scottish actor and playwright known for his roles in television series such as Dr. Finlay's Casebook and Sutherland's Law, as well as for his contributions to Scottish theatre.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Cruickshank throughout history, a name with deep roots in Scotland and a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cruickshank

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

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

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

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