NameCensus.

UK surname

Cranford

A locational surname referring to someone from a ford frequented by cranes or herons.

In the 1881 census there were 214 people recorded with the Cranford surname, ranking it #12,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #12,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Crondall and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worthing, Hart and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cranford is 615 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.5%.

1881 census count

214

Ranked #12,284

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1891

615 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cranford had 214 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 615 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Cranford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cranford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cranford 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 175 #11,542
1861 historical 560 #4,704
1881 historical 214 #12,284
1891 historical 615 #6,260
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

Back to top

Where Cranfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Crondall, Toxteth Park, Winchfield and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Worthing, Hart, Horsham and East Hampshire. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
2 Crondall Hampshire
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Winchfield Hampshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Worthing 001 Worthing
2 Hart 004 Hart
3 Horsham 006 Horsham
4 East Hampshire 001 East Hampshire
5 Horsham 013 Horsham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cranford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cranford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cranford, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Cranford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cranford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cranford 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

Cranford is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cranford falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cranford

The surname Cranford is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Cranford, which is found in several counties across England, including Middlesex, Northamptonshire, and Berkshire.

The name Cranford is believed to have its roots in the Old English words "cran" and "ford," meaning "crane" and "ford" respectively. This suggests that the name originally referred to a ford or crossing point where cranes were commonly found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cranford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Creneforde." This reference is linked to a place in Middlesex, indicating the long-standing presence of the name in that region.

During the 13th century, the surname Cranford began to appear more frequently in various historical records. For instance, a Roger de Cranford was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1206.

Notable individuals with the surname Cranford include Sir William Cranford (1572-1629), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was Pauline Cranford (1895-1981), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films during the early 20th century.

In the literary world, the surname Cranford is perhaps most famously associated with Elizabeth Gaskell's novel "Cranford," published in 1853. The book is set in a fictional town of the same name and provides a glimpse into the lives of the residents of a small English village during the 19th century.

Other historical figures bearing the Cranford surname include John Cranford (1613-1685), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College, and Henry Cranford (1796-1851), a British naval officer who participated in several notable battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the surname Cranford has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in various English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cranford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cranford 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. Hampshire leads with 37 Cranfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.77x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 37 8.77x
Middlesex 30 1.46x
Devon 25 5.84x
Lancashire 24 0.98x
Surrey 24 2.39x
Kent 17 2.42x
Sussex 8 2.31x
Warwickshire 8 1.54x
Staffordshire 7 1.01x
Lanarkshire 6 0.90x
Cheshire 4 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 3 2.41x
Hertfordshire 3 2.11x
Lincolnshire 2 0.61x
Northumberland 2 0.65x
Worcestershire 2 0.74x
Berwickshire 1 4.01x
Cornwall 1 0.43x
Glamorgan 1 0.28x
Leicestershire 1 0.44x
Midlothian 1 0.36x
Norfolk 1 0.32x
Northamptonshire 1 0.52x
Somerset 1 0.30x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Winchfield in Hampshire leads with 15 Cranfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 5769.23x.

Place Total Index
Winchfield 15 5769.23x
Dartmouth St Savior 10 1960.78x
Clapham 9 34.98x
Dogmersfield 9 4285.71x
Liverpool 8 5.39x
Birmingham 7 4.05x
Chatham 7 36.23x
Dartmouth St Saviour 7 573.77x
Portsea 7 8.47x
Burton Upon Trent 6 36.92x
Kensington London 6 5.24x
Warrington 6 20.73x
Brixham 5 100.81x
Govan 5 3.04x
St George Martyr London 5 119.90x
Bermondsey 4 6.53x
Brighton 4 5.71x
Church Minshull 4 1481.48x
Dorking 4 59.44x
Shoreditch London 4 4.48x
Castleton 3 12.30x
Greenwich 3 9.16x
Hammersmith London 3 5.92x
Toxteth Park 3 3.63x
Tring 3 79.16x
Walberton 3 697.67x
Broom 2 2222.22x
Chelsea London 2 3.22x
Hartley Wintney 2 157.48x
Lambeth 2 1.11x
Maidstone 2 9.56x
Merrow 2 476.19x
Monks Risborough 2 333.33x
Paddington London 2 2.64x
Partney 2 645.16x
Staines 2 61.35x
Stalisfield 2 833.33x
Tonbridge 2 7.90x
Westminster St Margaret 2 20.14x
Withington 2 25.41x
Aston 1 0.70x
Barony 1 0.59x
Basing 1 126.58x
Camberwell 1 0.76x
Christchurch 1 10.93x
Cockburnspath 1 125.00x
Creech St Michael 1 120.48x
Crondall 1 44.05x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 15.34x
Hailsham 1 47.62x
Islington London 1 0.50x
Kenwyn 1 16.42x
Lancaster 1 6.88x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.80x
Marsh Gibbon 1 192.31x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 2.90x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 5.47x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 6.30x
Northampton Priory St 1 8.61x
Plymouth Charles The 1 5.30x
Poplar London 1 2.57x
Royton 1 13.39x
Ryde 1 11.04x
Settle 1 64.10x
St George Bloomsbury 1 8.47x
St Pancras London 1 0.60x
Streatham 1 6.55x
Teynham 1 78.74x
Tiverton 1 13.55x
Tormoham 1 5.52x
Tottington 1 500.00x
Wimbledon 1 8.88x
Wolverhampton 1 1.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Alice 5
Caroline 5
Ann 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Annie 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Mercy 2
Rebecca 2
Amelia 1
Anabella 1
Annette 1
Beatrice 1
C.M. 1
Carroline 1
Celia 1
Constance 1
Daisy 1
Ella 1
Elsie 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fortune 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 10
John 9
Charles 8
James 8
Henry 6
Thomas 6
William 6
Robert 5
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
(Genl) 1
A.H. 1
Albert 1
Clifford 1
Cliford 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Gordon 1
H.R.G. 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Manie 1
Robt. 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Cranford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cranford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 214 people were recorded with the Cranford surname. That placed it at #12,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cranford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Cranford a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Cranford surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a ford frequented by cranes or herons.

What does the Cranford map show?

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