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

Norcross, 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 Norcross surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norcross in America

Norcross is the 10683rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norcross surname appeared 2,992 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 Norcross.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norcross 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 Norcross

The surname Norcross has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "nor" meaning north and "cros" meaning cross, referring to a place where a northern cross or crucifix stood.

The earliest known record of the name Norcross appears in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195, where it is spelled "Northcross." This suggests that the name was initially associated with Oxfordshire, potentially referring to a specific location within the county.

By the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Norcrosse" and "Norcroys," began appearing in historical records across various regions of England, indicating the dispersal of families bearing this surname.

One notable individual with the surname Norcross was Sir John Norcross, a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Canterbury in the late 15th century. Records show that he was born around 1440 and played a significant role in the wool trade during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was William Norcross, born in 1563 in Middlesex, England. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with inventing the pendulum clock, a significant advancement in timekeeping technology during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Norcross family gained prominence in the county of Lancashire. Thomas Norcross, born in 1715, was a successful industrialist and landowner, owning several cotton mills and estates in the region.

The name Norcross has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, Norcross Hill in Lancashire and Norcross Farm in Gloucestershire likely derived their names from families bearing this surname who once resided or held lands in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Norcross include Mary Norcross (1805-1888), an influential English educator and advocate for women's rights, and James Norcross (1848-1923), a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and other parts of the country.

While the name Norcross has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through the migration of English settlers to various colonies and territories over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norcross

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!