2000
#44,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 449
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Northcraft
A locational surname for someone from a northern region, or a craft surname related to a northern industry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 478 Americans carry the last name Northcraft. That puts it at #53,526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 717,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Northcraft 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
478
1 in 717,059
Census rank
#53,526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
417
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 417 bearers of the surname Northcraft in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Northcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Northcraft
The surname Northcraft has its roots in England, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from two Old English words: "north," referring to the cardinal direction, and "croft," meaning a small enclosed field or farm. This suggests that the name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived or worked on a northern farm or croft.
Historically, the Northcraft name can be traced back to the late 13th century, with records indicating that a Thomas Northcroft resided in Staffordshire, England, in 1286. However, the name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Northcroft, Northcrofte, and Northcrafts, before settling into its current form.
One notable early reference to the Northcraft name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1301, which documented a Robert de Northcroft as a landowner in the county. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a John Northcroft, providing further evidence of the name's presence in medieval England.
The earliest recorded instance of the Northcraft spelling dates back to the 16th century, with a William Northcraft mentioned in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire in 1592. This spelling variation likely emerged as a result of regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Northcraft surname. One of the earliest was John Northcraft (1550-1623), a prominent merchant and landowner in Lincolnshire, who amassed significant wealth and influence during the Elizabethan era. Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Northcraft (1678-1742), a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the English gentry.
In the 19th century, William Northcraft (1812-1887) achieved recognition as a pioneering engineer and inventor, contributing significantly to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery. His contemporary, Mary Northcraft (1825-1903), was a celebrated author and poet, known for her vivid depictions of rural English life in her literary works.
Finally, in more recent times, James Northcraft (1920-2005) gained acclaim as a respected historian and academic, authoring numerous books and scholarly articles on the medieval period in England, shedding light on the origins and significance of many historic surnames, including his own.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Northcraft
Among Census respondents with the surname Northcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Northcraft 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 Northcraft surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 388
- Two or more races4.3% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Northcraft
Northcraft 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
#48,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
-11 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 3,259 places
2020
#53,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
-21 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 5,270 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,997 | 449 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,256 | 438 | 0.15 | -11 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 3,259 places |
| 2020 | #53,526 | 417 | 0.14 | -21 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 5,270 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 Northcraft 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 | #48,256 | #53,526 | -10.9% |
| Count | 438 | 417 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.14 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Northcraft bearers went from 438 to 417 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 5,270 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,256 to #53,526.
FAQ
Northcraft surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Northcraft?
Name Census estimates that about 478 living Americans carry the surname Northcraft. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 717,059 residents.
How common is Northcraft?
Northcraft ranks #53,526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 417 people with the surname Northcraft. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Northcraft.
Has Northcraft become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Northcraft went from 438 recorded bearers to 417. That is a decrease of 21 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,256 to #53,526.
What does the Census say about the background of Northcraft?
Among Census respondents with the surname Northcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Northcraft in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Northcraft appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Northcraft (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 Northcraft mean?
A locational surname for someone from a northern region, or a craft surname related to a northern industry. 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 Northcraft (0.14 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 Northcraft?
You can see how many people have the surname Northcraft on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.