NameCensus.

UK surname

Cranwell

An English surname derived from a location meaning "the dweller by the crane's pool."

In the 1881 census there were 221 people recorded with the Cranwell surname, ranking it #12,049 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, down from #12,049 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Grandborough and Crishall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Uttlesford and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cranwell is 338 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.8%.

1881 census count

221

Ranked #12,049

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

2004

338 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cranwell had 221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,049 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 291 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cranwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cranwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cranwell 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 192 #10,756
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 221 #12,049
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 216 #14,426
1911 historical 291 #11,696
1997 modern 305 #13,377
1998 modern 320 #13,299
1999 modern 325 #13,257
2000 modern 330 #13,066
2001 modern 313 #13,361
2002 modern 318 #13,475
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 338 #12,781
2005 modern 331 #12,913
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 316 #13,566
2008 modern 323 #13,462
2009 modern 330 #13,513
2010 modern 330 #13,786
2011 modern 317 #14,059
2012 modern 300 #14,505
2013 modern 315 #14,245
2014 modern 306 #14,647
2015 modern 305 #14,579
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Cranwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Grandborough, Crishall, St Dunstan Stepney and Thornborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Uttlesford, East Cambridgeshire, Stockport and Aylesbury Vale. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Grandborough Buckinghamshire
3 Crishall Essex
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Thornborough Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 Uttlesford 003 Uttlesford
3 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
4 Stockport 012 Stockport
5 Aylesbury Vale 007 Aylesbury Vale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cranwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cranwell

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Cranwell is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cranwell 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

Cranwell falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cranwell

The surname Cranwell is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the early medieval period in the county of Lincolnshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "cran," meaning "crane," and "well," referring to a spring or stream. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place near a stream or body of water frequented by cranes.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Cranwell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Cranewelle," referring to a settlement in Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Cranwell, who was a prominent landowner in the village of Cranwell, Lincolnshire. His family likely took their surname from the place name, solidifying the association between the name and the locality.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cranwell surname spread to other parts of England, particularly in the neighboring counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir William Cranwell (1564-1635), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Nottinghamshire.

In the 18th century, the Cranwell name gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Cranwell (1720-1798), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was known for his bravery and leadership.

Another notable figure was Sir Stafford Cranwell (1865-1944), a British Air Marshal and one of the pioneers of the Royal Air Force. He played a significant role in the development of military aviation and served as the first Chief of the Air Staff from 1919 to 1923.

In more recent history, Sir Philip Cranwell (1918-1984) was a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1971 to 1976, during a period of heightened tensions between the West and the Soviet bloc.

While the surname Cranwell has its roots in Lincolnshire, it has since spread across England and other parts of the world through migration and family connections. The name remains a testament to its long history and association with the English countryside and the village from which it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cranwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cranwell 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. Middlesex leads with 54 Cranwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 54 2.49x
Cambridgeshire 32 23.33x
Essex 31 7.25x
Buckinghamshire 30 22.92x
Surrey 15 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 12 4.11x
Staffordshire 12 1.64x
Lancashire 10 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 7 16.28x
Sussex 5 1.37x
Berkshire 3 1.85x
Norfolk 3 0.90x
Devon 2 0.44x
Hertfordshire 2 1.34x
Oxfordshire 2 1.50x
Northumberland 1 0.31x
Royal Navy 1 3.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 13 Cranwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.21x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 13 28.21x
Thornborough 13 3023.26x
Chrishall 11 2558.14x
Grandborough 11 5000.00x
Wicken 11 1746.03x
Wednesbury 10 54.73x
Arkesden 9 2903.23x
Hackney London 9 7.41x
Paddington London 9 11.30x
Croydon 8 13.66x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 8 133.78x
Clavering 7 909.09x
Pendleton In Salford 7 22.87x
Ramsey 7 203.49x
Stretham 7 714.29x
Buckingham 5 187.97x
Duxford 5 877.19x
Fairlight 5 1388.89x
Nottingham St Mary 5 6.62x
Tottenham 5 14.50x
Islington London 4 1.91x
Marnham 4 2666.67x
St Bartholomew Great 4 203.05x
Bradford 3 24.94x
Great Yarmouth 3 10.88x
Hampstead London 3 8.90x
Hucknall Torkard 3 40.54x
Langley 3 1000.00x
Newington 3 3.75x
St Marylebone London 3 2.59x
Teddington London 3 61.10x
Basildon 2 408.16x
Castle Church 2 45.56x
Meesden 2 1428.57x
Stoke Damerel 2 6.34x
Chiswick 1 8.45x
Cowley 1 23.98x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.95x
Lambeth 1 0.53x
New Windsor 1 18.32x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.99x
Richmond 1 6.77x
Rousham 1 833.33x
Royal Navy 1 4.53x
Soulbury 1 285.71x
St Andrewthe Great 1 56.50x
Streatham 1 6.22x
Walthamstow 1 6.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Mary 11
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Sarah 5
Annie 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Marian 2
Martha 2
Angelina 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Elena 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mable 1
Maraih 1
Margret 1
Maud 1
Renne 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Vontura 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
George 7
James 6
John 6
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Allen 2
Ernest 2
Hy. 2
Joseph 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Oliver 2
Robert 2
August 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Clear 1
Duttler 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Felix 1
Fredck. 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbt. 1
Leanard 1
Martin 1
Oswald 1
Richard 1
Willie 1
Willson 1

FAQ

Cranwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cranwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 221 people were recorded with the Cranwell surname. That placed it at #12,049 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cranwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Cranwell a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Cranwell surname mean?

An English surname derived from a location meaning "the dweller by the crane's pool."

What does the Cranwell map show?

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