2000
#13,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,025
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Cruickshank
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "crooked hill" or "crooked point of land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,397 Americans carry the last name Cruickshank. That puts it at #13,851 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cruickshank 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 Cruickshank with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,993
Census rank
#13,851
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,090 bearers of the surname Cruickshank in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13851st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruickshank, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cruickshank
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruickshank, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cruickshank 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 Cruickshank surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.1% · 1,506
- Black or African American19.5% · 407
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 79
- Two or more races3.3% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cruickshank
Cruickshank 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
#14,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,111
+86 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 491 places
2020
#13,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,090
-21 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 364 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,724 | 2,025 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,215 | 2,111 | 0.72 | +86 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 491 places |
| 2020 | #13,851 | 2,090 | 0.70 | -21 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 364 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 Cruickshank 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 | #14,215 | #13,851 | 2.6% |
| Count | 2,111 | 2,090 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.70 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cruickshank bearers went from 2,111 to 2,090 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 364 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,215 to #13,851.
FAQ
Cruickshank surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cruickshank?
Name Census estimates that about 2,397 living Americans carry the surname Cruickshank. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,993 residents.
How common is Cruickshank?
Cruickshank ranks #13,851 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,090 people with the surname Cruickshank. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,397), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Cruickshank.
Has Cruickshank become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cruickshank went from 2,111 recorded bearers to 2,090. That is a decrease of 21 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,215 to #13,851.
What does the Census say about the background of Cruickshank?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruickshank, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Cruickshank in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.1% (1,506 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cruickshank appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.1%), Black (19.5%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Cruickshank (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 Cruickshank mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "crooked hill" or "crooked point of land." 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 Cruickshank (0.70 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 people share the surname Cruickshank?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.