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

Crystal, 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 Crystal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crystal in America

Crystal is the 14878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crystal surname appeared 1,989 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 Crystal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crystal 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 Crystal

The surname Crystal is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cryssel" or the Old French word "crissal," both of which referred to a type of fine, transparent glass. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to someone who worked with glass or crystals, such as a glassblower or a crystal cutter.

The earliest known record of the surname Crystal can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named John Cristal is mentioned. Over the following centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Cristall, Cristell, and Cristyll.

In the 14th century, the surname Crystal appeared in the records of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers in London, an organization that regulated the glazing trade. This further supports the theory that the name was initially associated with glasswork or crystal craftsmanship.

One notable figure with the surname Crystal was Sir William Crystal, born in 1564 in Essex, England. He was a renowned explorer and navigator who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on several expeditions to the Americas. Another prominent individual was Thomas Crystal, born in 1635 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent architect and helped design several churches and public buildings in London during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname Crystal can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Gloucestershire. One notable bearer of the name during this time was John Crystal, born in 1712 in Suffolk, who was a respected author and scholar known for his work on ancient Greek literature.

The 19th century saw the surname Crystal spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as many families emigrated from England. One prominent figure was Edward Crystal, born in 1845 in London, who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.

Throughout its history, the surname Crystal has been associated with various occupations, including glasswork, architecture, exploration, and academia. While not an extremely common surname, it has left a notable mark in various fields and regions around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crystal

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

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

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

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