2000
#20,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,205
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Cruze
A Spanish surname derived from the Spanish word "cruz" meaning "cross".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,126 Americans carry the last name Cruze. That puts it at #15,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cruze 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
2.1K
1 in 161,220
Census rank
#15,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,854 bearers of the surname Cruze in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruze, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cruze
The surname Cruze has its origins in the Spanish region of Galicia, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the word "cruz" or "cruce," which means "cross" or "crossing" in Spanish. This connection suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a location near a cross or a crossroads.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the year 1247, which mentions a person named Pedro Cruze residing in the town of Santiago de Compostela. This town, known for its famous cathedral and pilgrimage route, lends further credence to the theory that the name was linked to landmarks or intersections along religious routes.
In the 14th century, the name Cruze is found in several medieval manuscripts and records from the region of Galicia, such as the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, which documented land grants and property ownership. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "Cruze" or "Cruces."
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cruze. One such figure was Juan Cruze (1520-1588), a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas. Another was María Cruze (1638-1712), a renowned poet and writer from Seville, whose works explored themes of love and spirituality.
In the 18th century, the name Cruze gained prominence in the region of Asturias, where it was associated with the town of Cruces, a settlement located at the intersection of several important trade routes. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Alonso Cruze (1732-1804), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the region.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname Cruze appeared in various historical records, such as the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Galicia, which documented births, marriages, and deaths in the region. One notable figure from this time was Ramón Cruze (1842-1912), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Spanish parliament.
As the name spread across Spain and beyond, it took on variations in spelling and pronunciation, reflecting the diverse cultures and languages it encountered. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the rich history and traditions of the Galician region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cruze
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruze, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cruze 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 Cruze surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.6% · 939
- Hispanic or Latino40.6% · 753
- Black or African American2.9% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 49
- Two or more races1.8% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cruze
Cruze 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
#20,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,325
+120 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 319 places
2020
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
+529 bearers (+39.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 4,911 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,468 | 1,205 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,149 | 1,325 | 0.45 | +120 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 319 places |
| 2020 | #15,238 | 1,854 | 0.62 | +529 bearers (+39.9%) | Up 4,911 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 Cruze 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 | #20,149 | #15,238 | 24.4% |
| Count | 1,325 | 1,854 | 39.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.62 | 37.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cruze bearers went from 1,325 to 1,854 (+39.9% change). The surname moved up 4,911 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,149 to #15,238.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cruze
FAQ
Cruze surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cruze?
Name Census estimates that about 2,126 living Americans carry the surname Cruze. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,220 residents.
How common is Cruze?
Cruze ranks #15,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,854 people with the surname Cruze. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Cruze.
Has Cruze become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cruze went from 1,325 recorded bearers to 1,854. That is an increase of 529 (+39.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,149 to #15,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Cruze?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruze, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Cruze in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.6% (939 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cruze appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.6%), Hispanic (40.6%), Black (2.9%). 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 Cruze (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 Cruze mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Spanish word "cruz" meaning "cross". 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 Cruze (0.62 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 common is the surname Cruze?
Want to know how many people have the last name Cruze? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.