2000
#12,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,239
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Crumbley
Derived from a place name meaning "crumbly lee," referring to a meadow with loose or crumbly soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,572 Americans carry the last name Crumbley. That puts it at #13,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,264 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crumbley 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.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,264
Census rank
#13,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,243 bearers of the surname Crumbley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crumbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crumbley
The surname Crumbley is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "crumb," meaning a small fragment or piece, combined with the suffix "-ley," indicating a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a meadow with crumbled or fragmented soil.
The earliest known reference to the name Crumbley appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, England, from 1327, where it is recorded as "Crumbelye." This provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period in the West Midlands region of England.
In the 16th century, variations of the spelling emerged, such as "Crumbley" and "Crumblie," reflecting regional dialects and phonetic adaptations. The name was particularly prevalent in counties like Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, where many families bearing this surname resided.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Crumbley, born in 1589 in Staffordshire. He was a landowner and prominent figure in his local community, leaving behind records of his properties and dealings in parish registers.
Another historical figure was Thomas Crumbley, born in 1631 in Worcestershire. He was a respected scholar and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick for over four decades, from 1662 until his death in 1703.
In the 18th century, the Crumbley surname gained recognition through the accomplishments of William Crumbley (1724-1797), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Warwickshire. He made significant contributions to the development of his hometown and established several charitable endowments.
The 19th century saw the migration of many Crumbley families to the United States and other parts of the world, contributing to the global spread of the surname. One notable individual from this period was James Crumbley (1854-1932), a British-born American who became a prominent banker and investor in New York City.
Another figure of note was Elizabeth Crumbley (1879-1962), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. Born in Staffordshire, she dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for girls and played a crucial role in the suffragette movement in England.
While the surname Crumbley is not among the most common in modern times, it maintains a rich historical legacy rooted in the English countryside and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crumbley
Among Census respondents with the surname Crumbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Crumbley 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 Crumbley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.5% · 1,223
- Black or African American38.7% · 869
- Two or more races3.3% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crumbley
Crumbley 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
#12,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,444
+205 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 17 places
2020
#13,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,243
-201 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,673 | 2,239 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,656 | 2,444 | 0.83 | +205 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 17 places |
| 2020 | #13,069 | 2,243 | 0.75 | -201 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 413 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 Crumbley 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 | #12,656 | #13,069 | -3.3% |
| Count | 2,444 | 2,243 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.75 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crumbley bearers went from 2,444 to 2,243 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,656 to #13,069.
FAQ
Crumbley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crumbley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,572 living Americans carry the surname Crumbley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,264 residents.
How common is Crumbley?
Crumbley ranks #13,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,243 people with the surname Crumbley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Crumbley.
Has Crumbley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crumbley went from 2,444 recorded bearers to 2,243. That is a decrease of 201 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,656 to #13,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Crumbley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crumbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Crumbley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.5% (1,223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crumbley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.5%), Black (38.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Crumbley (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 Crumbley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "crumbly lee," referring to a meadow with loose or crumbly soil. 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 Crumbley (0.75 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 have the last name Crumbley?
Find out how many people have the last name Crumbley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.