NameCensus.

UK surname

Cramp

A surname derived from the Old French word crampe, meaning "a cramp or seizure".

In the 1881 census there were 1,317 people recorded with the Cramp surname, ranking it #3,113 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,144, ranked #5,154, down from #3,113 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Blaby and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cramp is 1,714 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.1%.

1881 census count

1,317

Ranked #3,113

Modern count

1,144

2016, ranked #5,154

Peak year

1911

1,714 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cramp had 1,317 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,113 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,144 in 2016, ranked #5,154.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,714 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cramp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cramp surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cramp 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 1,010 #2,763
1861 historical 1,164 #2,422
1881 historical 1,317 #3,113
1891 historical 1,639 #2,732
1901 historical 1,631 #3,167
1911 historical 1,714 #2,857
1997 modern 1,315 #4,360
1998 modern 1,350 #4,408
1999 modern 1,343 #4,462
2000 modern 1,326 #4,491
2001 modern 1,292 #4,506
2002 modern 1,312 #4,537
2003 modern 1,283 #4,529
2004 modern 1,247 #4,651
2005 modern 1,216 #4,708
2006 modern 1,199 #4,773
2007 modern 1,208 #4,787
2008 modern 1,212 #4,805
2009 modern 1,206 #4,923
2010 modern 1,221 #4,968
2011 modern 1,195 #5,000
2012 modern 1,171 #5,010
2013 modern 1,186 #5,043
2014 modern 1,188 #5,070
2015 modern 1,160 #5,115
2016 modern 1,144 #5,154

Geography

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Where Cramps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Ashford, Foleshill and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Blaby, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Stratford-on-Avon and Coventry. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ashford Kent
4 Foleshill Warwickshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire
2 Blaby 011 Blaby
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 010 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 Stratford-on-Avon 005 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Coventry 027 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cramp

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cramp

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cramp, 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 Cramp surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cramp 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cramp is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cramp is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cramp falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cramp 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 Cramp, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cramp

The surname Cramp is of English origin, deriving from the Middle English word "crampe" which meant "a cramp or spasm." It is thought to have originated as a descriptive nickname, perhaps given to someone who walked with a limp or had a physical deformity that caused them to move in a cramped or constricted manner.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a Willelmus Crampe listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. It is possible that the name was derived from a place name, as there are several locations in England with names similar to Cramp, such as Cramphill in Oxfordshire and Crampond in Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which listed a Johannes Crampe. Another early reference can be found in the Hearth Tax Returns of Staffordshire in 1666, where a Thomas Cramp is recorded.

Notable individuals with the surname Cramp throughout history include:

1. John Cramp (1756-1842), an English engraver and printmaker known for his work on topographical and antiquarian subjects. 2. William Cramp (1807-1879), an American shipbuilder and founder of the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia. 3. Charles Henry Cramp (1828-1901), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University. 4. William Cramp Jr. (1837-1918), an American shipbuilder and son of William Cramp, who became the president of the Cramp Shipbuilding Company. 5. John Cramp (1870-1957), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and Oxford University.

The name Cramp can also be found in various historical records related to places and locations, such as the Cramp Hundred in Berkshire, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the village of Cramphill in Oxfordshire, which dates back to at least the 13th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cramp families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cramp 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. Sussex leads with 238 Cramps recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.97x.

County Total Index
Sussex 238 10.97x
Kent 228 5.19x
Leicestershire 222 15.56x
Middlesex 166 1.29x
Warwickshire 143 4.41x
Surrey 118 1.88x
Rutland 41 43.40x
Yorkshire 25 0.20x
Derbyshire 20 0.99x
Essex 16 0.63x
Northamptonshire 15 1.24x
Staffordshire 13 0.30x
Lancashire 12 0.08x
Hampshire 9 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.52x
Glamorgan 7 0.31x
Berkshire 6 0.62x
Dorset 6 0.71x
Hertfordshire 6 0.68x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.96x
Lincolnshire 5 0.24x
Gloucestershire 2 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.12x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Devon 1 0.04x
Durham 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 0.65x
Suffolk 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 51 Cramps recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.66x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 51 14.66x
Coventry Holy Trinity 49 50.57x
Brighton 37 8.45x
Cottesmore 35 1944.44x
Coventry St Michael 33 31.66x
Ashford 32 74.85x
Bermondsey 29 7.57x
Loughborough 29 44.80x
Ore 29 179.57x
Burwash 26 258.45x
Hugglescote 24 114.34x
Croydon 20 5.75x
Charing 18 303.03x
Foleshill 18 52.72x
St Pancras London 18 1.74x
Islington London 17 1.36x
Ashburnham 16 469.21x
Eastbourne 15 15.03x
Markfield 15 212.16x
Staveley 15 41.95x
Aston 14 1.57x
Poplar London 13 5.35x
Yalding 13 117.22x
Battle 12 81.97x
Hammersmith London 12 3.79x
Shoreditch London 12 2.15x
Southwark St John 12 30.50x
Horsham 11 26.10x
Hackney London 10 1.39x
Knighton 10 124.22x
Ratby 10 139.86x
Sandhurst 10 193.42x
Tonbridge 10 6.32x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.61x
Bexhill 9 83.26x
Battersea 8 1.69x
Ibstock 8 77.15x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.78x
Ramsgate 8 11.16x
Seagrave 8 503.14x
West Ham 8 1.43x
Willesden 8 6.60x
Briton Ferry 7 26.19x
Catsfield 7 225.08x
Clapham 7 4.35x
Crowhurst 7 378.38x
Faversham 7 16.72x
Glenfield 7 252.71x
Great Chart 7 213.41x
Hastings St Clement 7 34.30x
Holy Trinity 7 2.28x
Kibworth Beauchamp 7 141.41x
Leicester St Leonard 7 51.85x
Plumstead 7 4.78x
Reigate Foreign 7 10.31x
Sedlescombe 7 245.61x
St Marylebone London 7 1.02x
St Thomas Winchester 7 37.59x
Warwick St Mary 7 24.85x
Barnes 6 22.63x
Beckenham 6 10.45x
Blandford Forum 6 36.01x
Burton Extra 6 24.10x
Canterbury St George 6 113.85x
Denaby 6 83.22x
Hastings St Mary In The 6 12.96x
Limehouse London 6 4.25x
Little Harrowden 6 164.38x
Loose 6 93.02x
Sevenoaks 6 16.86x
Shoreham 6 96.00x
Swepstone 6 258.62x
Hastings All Sts 5 24.46x
Kenilworth 5 27.34x
Kirby Muxloe 5 297.62x
Margate St John Baptist 5 6.22x
Mayfield 5 38.97x
Salehurst 5 53.25x
Sheepshed 5 25.58x
Sutton Coldfield 5 14.66x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 83
John 66
George 54
Thomas 47
Charles 42
James 35
Henry 30
Joseph 27
Arthur 16
Alfred 15
Robert 15
Frederick 14
Edward 10
Harry 10
Walter 10
Samuel 9
Herbert 8
Richard 8
Albert 6
Edwin 6
Ernest 6
David 5
Edmund 4
Fred 4
Geo. 4
Horace 4
Jesse 3
Wm. 3
Amos 2
Andrew 2
Francis 2
Harold 2
Job 2
Jonathan 2
Lewis 2
Louis 2
Mark 2
Percy 2
Soloman 2
Stephen 2
Carl 1
Cha. 1
Clark 1
Ellis 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Israel 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Cramp surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cramp surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,317 people were recorded with the Cramp surname. That placed it at #3,113 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cramp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,144 in 2016. That gives Cramp a modern rank of #5,154.

What does the Cramp surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word crampe, meaning "a cramp or seizure".

What does the Cramp map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cramp 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.