NameCensus.

UK surname

Crago

A name derived from the French word "craque", meaning boastful or arrogant.

In the 1881 census there were 288 people recorded with the Crago surname, ranking it #9,988 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, down from #9,988 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Pinnock, London parishes and St Winnow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crago is 351 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.7%.

1881 census count

288

Ranked #9,988

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

2014

351 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crago had 288 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,988 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 292 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crago surname distribution map

The map shows where the Crago surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Crago surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crago over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 196 #10,573
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 288 #9,988
1891 historical 204 #14,702
1901 historical 289 #11,944
1911 historical 292 #11,674
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 310 #13,578
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 340 #12,824
2001 modern 333 #12,817
2002 modern 330 #13,140
2003 modern 308 #13,587
2004 modern 297 #13,971
2005 modern 295 #13,972
2006 modern 304 #13,797
2007 modern 290 #14,372
2008 modern 306 #13,943
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 335 #13,645
2011 modern 323 #13,868
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 343 #13,372
2014 modern 351 #13,227
2015 modern 345 #13,312
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

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Where Cragos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Pinnock, London parishes, St Winnow and Liskeard, St Cleer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St Pinnock Cornwall
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Winnow Cornwall
4 Liskeard, St Cleer Cornwall
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 029 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 017 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 013 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crago

These lists show first names that appear often with the Crago surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crago

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crago, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Crago surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Crago household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Crago is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Crago is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crago falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crago is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Crago, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Crago

The surname Crago originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is believed to have been derived from the Gaelic word "creag," which means "rock" or "crag." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or craggy area.

The earliest known record of the name Crago dates back to the 15th century in the Aberdeenshire region of northeastern Scotland. During this time, the spelling was often rendered as "Cragho" or "Craghou."

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, which documented legal transactions and grants of land. One notable entry from 1543 mentions a "John Cragho" who was granted lands in the Angus region.

The Crago surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Crago Mill, a former mill located near the village of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. This connection further reinforces the idea that the name originated as a descriptive term for someone living near a rocky or craggy area.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Crago surname was Robert Crago, born in 1592 in Aberdeenshire. He was a landowner and farmer who played a role in the local community.

Another notable figure was John Crago, born in 1674 in Angus. He was a merchant and trader who helped establish trade routes between Scotland and the European continent.

In the 18th century, the Crago family gained prominence with the birth of James Crago (1723-1798), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1788.

Another significant individual was William Crago (1795-1867), a Scottish inventor and engineer who is credited with developing an early version of the steam engine safety valve.

In the 19th century, the Crago surname spread beyond Scotland as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the United Kingdom and North America. One such individual was George Crago (1818-1892), a Scottish-born businessman who established a successful trading company in Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crago families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crago surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 191 Cragos recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.26x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 191 60.26x
Durham 36 4.32x
Middlesex 17 0.61x
Devon 13 2.23x
Glamorgan 11 2.26x
Somerset 8 1.78x
Gloucestershire 6 1.09x
Kent 2 0.21x
Northumberland 2 0.48x
Lancashire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liskeard in Cornwall leads with 51 Cragos recorded in 1881 and an index of 962.26x.

Place Total Index
Liskeard 51 962.26x
St Cleer 36 1309.09x
St Pinnock 27 5625.00x
Wingate 20 350.26x
St Winnow 13 1203.70x
Camborne 11 84.23x
Broadoak 10 3571.43x
Shoreditch London 10 8.24x
Exeter St Sidwell 9 67.42x
Cardiff St Mary 7 26.07x
Hetton Le Hole 7 66.35x
St Keyne 7 4375.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 11.61x
Chilton 6 230.77x
Duloe 6 645.16x
Lansallos 6 869.57x
Kenwyn 5 60.31x
Montacute 5 602.41x
North Hill 5 490.20x
St Clement 5 151.06x
St Pancras London 5 2.22x
Cardiff St John 4 25.13x
Odcombe 3 500.00x
Byker 2 9.71x
Dartmouth St Saviour 2 120.48x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.71x
Pillaton 2 625.00x
Tanfield 2 20.20x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.40x
Botus Fleming 1 476.19x
Bromley London 1 1.62x
Calstock 1 16.08x
Cheetham 1 4.04x
Feock 1 50.51x
Landrake 1 142.86x
Menheniot 1 75.76x
Plymouth Charles The 1 3.90x
Quethiock 1 217.39x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.03x
St Mary Magdalene 1 42.92x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.45x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Crago surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 14
Bessie 7
Eliza 7
Ellen 7
Jane 7
Emily 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Catherine 5
Emma 5
Elizth. 4
Sarah 4
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Grace 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Selina 3
Beatrice 2
Edith 2
Lilly 2
Nanney 2
Amanda 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Elizth.A. 1
Elsie 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Honoro 1
Ida 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Polly 1
Rebbeca 1
Susan 1
Thomasin 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Crago surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 26
William 21
Thomas 16
Richard 10
Joseph 6
Robert 6
Charles 5
Francis 5
James 5
Samuel 5
George 4
Frank 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Willie 2
Alfd. 1
Ben 1
Cyril 1
David 1
Edward 1
Ellen 1
Fredc. 1
Frederick 1
Fredick 1
Harry 1
Hedley 1
Henry 1
Hy.F. 1
Mark 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Tom 1
Wiliam 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Crago surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crago surname in 1881?

In 1881, 288 people were recorded with the Crago surname. That placed it at #9,988 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crago surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Crago a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Crago surname mean?

A name derived from the French word "craque", meaning boastful or arrogant.

What does the Crago map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Crago bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.