NameCensus.

UK surname

Crank

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cranes, pulleys, or hoists.

In the 1881 census there were 604 people recorded with the Crank surname, ranking it #5,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 703, ranked #7,683, down from #5,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wigan, Leigh and Warrington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Wigan and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crank is 830 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.4%.

1881 census count

604

Ranked #5,801

Modern count

703

2016, ranked #7,683

Peak year

1911

830 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crank had 604 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 703 in 2016, ranked #7,683.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 830 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crank surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crank surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crank 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 355 #6,654
1861 historical 385 #6,655
1881 historical 604 #5,801
1891 historical 653 #5,944
1901 historical 752 #5,930
1911 historical 830 #5,320
1997 modern 713 #7,150
1998 modern 727 #7,270
1999 modern 727 #7,316
2000 modern 717 #7,374
2001 modern 730 #7,118
2002 modern 751 #7,100
2003 modern 736 #7,110
2004 modern 717 #7,251
2005 modern 687 #7,460
2006 modern 693 #7,413
2007 modern 681 #7,602
2008 modern 691 #7,563
2009 modern 709 #7,568
2010 modern 707 #7,724
2011 modern 685 #7,819
2012 modern 676 #7,825
2013 modern 683 #7,886
2014 modern 700 #7,768
2015 modern 704 #7,689
2016 modern 703 #7,683

Geography

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Where Cranks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigan, Leigh, Warrington, Bolton-le-Moors and Runcorn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Wigan and Chorley. 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 Wigan Lancashire
2 Leigh Lancashire
3 Warrington Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Runcorn Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 046 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Wigan 019 Wigan
3 Chorley 014 Chorley
4 Cheshire West and Chester 018 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Wigan 016 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crank

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crank

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Crank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Crank household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crank is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Crank is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crank falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crank is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Crank

The surname CRANK originated in England in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cranc", which means "a bend, turn or winding", likely referring to someone who lived near a crooked road or stream. Some early spelling variations of the name include Crank, Cranke, Cranck, and Craunk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CRANK can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it is listed as "Reginald le Cranke". This suggests that the name was already well-established in the West Midlands region of England by the late medieval period.

In the 14th century, the name CRANK appears in various historical records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a "Johannes Cranke" is mentioned. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by this time.

The CRANK surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a major survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the exact reference is unclear, as the spelling of names in this document can be ambiguous.

Notable individuals with the surname CRANK include:

1. William Crank (c. 1640-1725), an English Quaker and early settler in Pennsylvania. 2. John Crank (1737-1819), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War. 3. Isaac Crank (1789-1858), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee. 4. James Crank (1824-1896), a Scottish-born Australian engineer and inventor of the Crank friction brake. 5. Andrew Crank (1908-1972), a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Northampton from 1945 to 1970.

The CRANK surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Crankhall in Lancashire and Crankley in Northumberland, which may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crank 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. Lancashire leads with 371 Cranks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.26x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 371 5.26x
Cheshire 153 11.67x
Yorkshire 19 0.32x
Shropshire 11 2.14x
Hampshire 10 0.82x
Middlesex 10 0.17x
Staffordshire 5 0.25x
Berkshire 4 0.90x
Channel Islands 4 2.27x
Gloucestershire 4 0.34x
Derbyshire 3 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.37x
Cumberland 2 0.39x
Flintshire 2 1.25x
Surrey 2 0.07x
Warwickshire 2 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.15x
Renfrewshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 1.41x
Wiltshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 37 Cranks recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.82x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 37 40.82x
Runcorn 28 92.62x
Warrington 28 33.50x
Great Bolton 23 24.63x
Westleigh 23 143.66x
Eaton In Nantwich 21 2210.53x
Hindley 17 56.55x
Ince In Makerfield 16 48.78x
Everton 14 6.23x
Heaton Norris 14 34.90x
Monks Coppenhall 13 26.27x
Stockport 12 17.78x
Bedford 11 74.63x
Pennington In Leigh 11 81.36x
Barrow In Furness 9 9.39x
Blackburn 9 4.80x
Utkinton 9 849.06x
Wigan 9 9.14x
Alverstoke 8 18.15x
Brightside Bierlow 8 6.93x
Darcy Lever 8 197.04x
Hinstock 8 454.55x
Over 8 60.02x
Salford 8 3.86x
Stretford 8 20.63x
Toxteth Park 8 3.35x
Clotton Hoofield 7 1000.00x
Tarvin Pryors Hayes 7 402.30x
Atherton 6 23.38x
Delamere 6 508.47x
Eddisbury 6 1200.00x
Great Crosby 6 31.22x
Liverpool 6 1.40x
Osmotherley 6 625.00x
Rotherham 6 18.08x
West Derby 6 2.91x
Windle 6 15.13x
Billinge Higher End 5 174.83x
Little Budworth 5 454.55x
Livesey 5 40.42x
Parr 5 19.83x
Pemberton 5 17.79x
Ashton In Makerfield 4 19.93x
Barnsley 4 6.59x
Chester St John Baptist 4 16.97x
Cookham 4 28.78x
Fulham London 4 4.64x
Huxley 4 833.33x
Manchester 4 1.26x
St Helier 4 6.98x
Tarporley 4 145.45x
Westbury On Trym 4 10.13x
Withington 4 17.61x
Aspull 3 18.09x
Beeston 3 32.61x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.68x
Fairfield 3 48.23x
Farnworth 3 7.10x
Formby 3 37.59x
Haydock 3 24.69x
Islington London 3 0.52x
Marston 3 150.75x
Pendleton In Salford 3 3.57x
Shrewsbury St Julian 3 23.62x
Stafford St Mary 3 10.57x
Sutton 3 12.69x
Sutton In Macclesfield 3 22.04x
Westhoughton 3 15.95x
Woolston With 3 294.12x
Birmingham 2 0.40x
Heap 2 5.35x
Lathom 2 23.50x
Maghull 2 68.49x
Millom 2 12.76x
Newton In Makerfield 2 9.26x
Openshaw 2 6.06x
Poulton With Fearnhead 2 132.45x
Rushton 2 294.12x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 9.86x
Walton Le Dale 2 10.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 51
Elizabeth 32
Sarah 27
Alice 13
Margaret 11
Martha 11
Ann 10
Ellen 10
Jane 10
Eliza 9
Emma 7
Annie 6
Hannah 6
Edith 5
Elizth. 5
Nancy 5
Louisa 4
M. 4
Ada 3
Betsy 3
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Mgt. 3
Agnes 2
Eleanor 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Ruth 2
Anastasia 1
Arabella 1
Betty 1
Catharine 1
Cathe. 1
Dora 1
Eliz. 1
Emiline 1
Flora 1
Isabella 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Lillian 1
Lilly 1
Teressa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 43
James 36
John 36
Joseph 28
Thomas 28
Richard 15
Charles 11
George 11
Henry 8
Peter 7
Frederick 5
Edward 4
Fred 4
Geoffrey 4
Harry 4
Alfred 3
Jeffrey 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
Charley 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Jno. 2
Ralph 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Chas.Jas. 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Elish 1
Enoch 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Geoffery 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Jeffery 1
Jessi 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Jonathan 1
Luke 1
Malachi 1
Percy 1
Silas 1
Stanislaus 1

FAQ

Crank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 604 people were recorded with the Crank surname. That placed it at #5,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 703 in 2016. That gives Crank a modern rank of #7,683.

What does the Crank surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cranes, pulleys, or hoists.

What does the Crank map show?

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