2000
#10,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,945
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Norcross
Topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a northern cross or crossroads.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,307 Americans carry the last name Norcross. That puts it at #10,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,645 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Norcross 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Norcross with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,645
Census rank
#10,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,884 bearers of the surname Norcross in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Norcross, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Norcross
Among Census respondents with the surname Norcross, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Norcross 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 Norcross surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 2,581
- Two or more races3.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Norcross
Norcross 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
#10,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,992
+47 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 595 places
2020
#10,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,884
-108 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 81 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,088 | 2,945 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,683 | 2,992 | 1.01 | +47 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 595 places |
| 2020 | #10,602 | 2,884 | 0.96 | -108 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 81 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 Norcross 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 | #10,683 | #10,602 | 0.8% |
| Count | 2,992 | 2,884 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.96 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Norcross bearers went from 2,992 to 2,884 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 81 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,683 to #10,602.
FAQ
Norcross surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Norcross?
Name Census estimates that about 3,307 living Americans carry the surname Norcross. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,645 residents.
How common is Norcross?
Norcross ranks #10,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,884 people with the surname Norcross. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,307), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Norcross.
Has Norcross become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Norcross went from 2,992 recorded bearers to 2,884. That is a decrease of 108 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,683 to #10,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Norcross?
Among Census respondents with the surname Norcross, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Norcross in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (2,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Norcross appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Norcross (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 Norcross mean?
Topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a northern cross or crossroads. 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 Norcross (0.96 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 Norcross?
See how many Americans have the surname Norcross on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.