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

Cruikshank, 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 Cruikshank surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cruikshank in America

Cruikshank is the 19242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cruikshank surname appeared 1,409 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 Cruikshank.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cruikshank 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 Cruikshank

The surname Cruikshank originated in Scotland and has been traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old Scots words "cruik" meaning "bent" and "schank" meaning "leg." This likely referred to a person living near a bend in a river or a crooked slope.

The earliest recorded example of this name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1291, where it appears as "Cruikshank." Other early spellings include Crukschank, Cruikshonk, and Crukshanks, reflecting the varying pronunciations at the time.

The name is also associated with the village of Cruikshank in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This place name is believed to have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation over time.

In the 16th century, the Cruikshank family held lands in Aberdeenshire and played a role in local affairs. One notable member was Alexander Cruikshank, who served as the Provost of Aberdeen in the late 1500s.

During the Scottish Renaissance, the Cruikshank surname gained prominence through the work of Robert Cruikshank (1648-1733), a Scottish poet and philosopher. His writings explored themes of nature and the human condition, earning him a respected place in literary circles.

In the 18th century, the Cruikshank family produced several talented artists. Isaac Cruikshank (1756-1811) was a celebrated caricaturist and satirical illustrator, known for his political cartoons during the French Revolution. His son, George Cruikshank (1792-1878), followed in his footsteps and became one of the most influential illustrators of the Victorian era, renowned for his work in Charles Dickens' novels.

Another notable figure was Robert Cruikshank (1793-1856), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court.

The Cruikshank surname has also been carried by individuals in various fields, such as Alexander Cruikshank (1854-1935), a Scottish-American architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in New York City, and George Cruikshank (1887-1976), a Scottish-American artist and illustrator known for his work in children's literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cruikshank

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

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

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

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