NameCensus.

UK surname

Crawford

Derived from a place name meaning "crow ford," referring to a crossing in a river where crows gather.

In the 1881 census there were 14,716 people recorded with the Crawford surname, ranking it #271 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 22,650, ranked #263, up from #271 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley North East, Greenock West and Central and Paisley West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crawford is 22,857 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.9%.

1881 census count

14,716

Ranked #271

Modern count

22,650

2016, ranked #263

Peak year

2010

22,857 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crawford had 14,716 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #271 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 22,650 in 2016, ranked #263.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,922 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crawford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crawford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crawford 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 10,215 #249
1861 historical 10,440 #244
1881 historical 14,716 #271
1891 historical 15,181 #280
1901 historical 17,922 #281
1911 historical 9,167 #535
1997 modern 21,236 #271
1998 modern 21,971 #274
1999 modern 22,109 #276
2000 modern 22,043 #272
2001 modern 21,609 #269
2002 modern 21,997 #271
2003 modern 21,358 #273
2004 modern 21,473 #271
2005 modern 21,227 #272
2006 modern 21,367 #268
2007 modern 21,610 #265
2008 modern 21,859 #264
2009 modern 22,355 #264
2010 modern 22,857 #265
2011 modern 22,420 #264
2012 modern 22,110 #263
2013 modern 22,504 #264
2014 modern 22,736 #263
2015 modern 22,603 #264
2016 modern 22,650 #263

Geography

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Where Crawfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley North East, Greenock West and Central, Paisley West, Ibrox and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley North East Renfrewshire
2 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
3 Paisley West Renfrewshire
4 Ibrox Glasgow City
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 004 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crawford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crawford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crawford, 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 Crawford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Crawford 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, Crawford 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

Crawford is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crawford falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crawford

The surname Crawford originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the Gaelic words 'crodh' meaning cattle and 'fuar' meaning cold, referring to the Crawford Burn, a stream in Lanarkshire.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which include the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. These rolls mention Reginald de Crauford and John de Craufurd.

The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, which record payments made to individuals with the surname Crawford. One notable entry is from 1369, referring to Sir Reginald Crawford, a Scottish knight.

In the 15th century, the Crawford family held significant power and influence in Scotland. The most notable member was David Lindsay, 5th Earl of Crawford (c. 1440-1513), a Scottish nobleman and diplomat who served as Lord High Admiral of Scotland.

Another prominent figure was William Crawford (c. 1500-1570), a Scottish religious reformer and diplomat who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Protestant faith in Scotland.

The surname also appears in various historical documents related to the Scottish Wars of Independence, with several Crawfords serving in the Scottish army against the English.

In the 17th century, the name is associated with the Crawford family of Craufurdland Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland. One notable member was Sir John Crawford (1603-1668), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

The surname Crawford has also been documented in various forms, such as Craufurd, Crauford, and Crawfurd, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crawford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crawford 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. Lanarkshire leads with 3,001 Crawfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.49x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 3,001 6.49x
Ayrshire 1,206 11.27x
Renfrewshire 1,206 10.89x
Lancashire 1,018 0.60x
Midlothian 708 3.70x
Middlesex 683 0.48x
Durham 679 1.60x
Yorkshire 613 0.43x
Northumberland 490 2.30x
Argyllshire 438 11.01x
Cheshire 328 1.04x
Stirlingshire 309 5.86x
Surrey 292 0.42x
Fife 268 3.17x
Angus 240 1.81x
Lincolnshire 233 1.02x
Buteshire 185 21.36x
Worcestershire 176 0.94x
Perthshire 167 2.60x
Kent 166 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 159 4.14x
Aberdeenshire 158 1.19x
West Lothian 127 5.90x
Suffolk 108 0.62x
Cumberland 99 0.80x
Wigtownshire 94 4.95x
Warwickshire 93 0.26x
Hampshire 88 0.30x
Clackmannanshire 78 6.61x
Oxfordshire 78 0.88x
Staffordshire 70 0.15x
Norfolk 69 0.31x
Kirkcudbrightshire 59 2.85x
Essex 55 0.19x
Gloucestershire 52 0.19x
Sussex 52 0.22x
Peeblesshire 46 6.84x
Roxburghshire 45 1.74x
Devon 40 0.13x
Westmorland 40 1.27x
Hertfordshire 38 0.39x
East Lothian 37 1.95x
Nottinghamshire 37 0.19x
Somerset 36 0.16x
Dumfriesshire 34 1.08x
Leicestershire 33 0.21x
Banffshire 29 0.98x
Dorset 29 0.31x
Berwickshire 27 1.56x
Ross-shire 27 0.69x
Selkirkshire 26 2.01x
Derbyshire 25 0.11x
Denbighshire 23 0.43x
Kinross-shire 20 5.53x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.19x
Glamorgan 17 0.07x
Caithness 16 0.82x
Brecknockshire 15 0.52x
Flintshire 15 0.39x
Channel Islands 14 0.33x
Inverness-shire 14 0.33x
Shropshire 10 0.08x
Wiltshire 10 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.15x
Sutherland 9 0.82x
Northamptonshire 8 0.06x
Royal Navy 8 0.47x
Berkshire 7 0.07x
Herefordshire 7 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.13x
Isle of Man 5 0.19x
Merionethshire 5 0.19x
Morayshire 5 0.23x
Orkney 5 0.32x
Bedfordshire 3 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Monmouthshire 1 0.01x
Nairnshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 920 Crawfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.86x.

Place Total Index
Barony 920 7.86x
Govan 776 6.79x
Glasgow 495 6.03x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 296 3.84x
West Greenock 207 10.41x
Dalry 189 37.54x
Abbey 178 10.53x
Glassary 155 72.30x
Bromsgrove 149 23.71x
East Greenock 137 13.10x
Beith 125 39.15x
Liverpool 117 1.14x
Falkirk 107 8.67x
Paisley High Church 106 12.02x
Ardrossan 99 26.73x
Largs 99 39.27x
Dundee 84 1.70x
Old Monkland 78 4.25x
Maryhill 75 8.29x
Fraserburgh 73 19.59x
South Leith 73 3.39x
Hulme 72 2.03x
Bothwell 71 5.66x
Kilbarchan 71 21.10x
Everton 70 1.29x
New Monkland 69 5.05x
Knapdale South 67 49.00x
Bishopwearmouth 66 1.81x
Cathcart 65 10.84x
St Marylebone London 64 0.84x
Kirkdale 62 2.17x
Scarborough 61 4.74x
St Ninians 61 11.67x
Westoe 61 2.53x
Kilmalcolm 59 44.44x
St Pancras London 59 0.51x
Stirling 55 8.27x
Darlington 54 3.29x
Eastwood 54 7.91x
Islington London 53 0.38x
Camberwell 52 0.57x
Ayr 51 10.10x
Birmingham 50 0.42x
Kilwinning 50 14.47x
Lambeth 50 0.40x
Manchester 50 0.66x
Paisley Middle Church 50 7.75x
Hilderthorpe 49 68.49x
Holy Trinity 49 1.44x
Rutherglen 49 7.22x
Elswick 48 2.83x
Leeds 48 0.60x
Douglas 47 35.26x
Poplar London 47 1.74x
Kilbride 46 43.12x
Port Glasgow 46 8.59x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 45 2.44x
Kilmarnock 45 3.53x
Lochwinnoch 45 27.25x
Renfrew 45 12.30x
Cambusnethan 44 4.28x
Carluke 44 10.48x
Dundonald 44 11.15x
Hamilton 44 3.41x
Barrow In Furness 43 1.86x
Battersea 43 0.82x
Kilmory 43 34.07x
Old Cumnock 43 18.05x
Rothesay 43 10.25x
Dunfermline 42 3.23x
Liff Benvie 42 2.09x
Nantwich 42 11.45x
West Derby 42 0.85x
Kilbirnie 41 15.96x
Maybole 41 12.59x
Old Kilpatrick 40 8.81x
Bedlington 39 5.49x
Filey 38 33.20x
Hackney London 38 0.47x
Newton On Ayr 37 11.55x
Row 37 7.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 437
Elizabeth 223
Sarah 204
Jane 159
Margaret 128
Ann 116
Ellen 86
Eliza 85
Alice 78
Emma 76
Annie 74
Emily 57
Isabella 49
Hannah 44
Catherine 43
Martha 43
Agnes 39
Edith 34
Louisa 33
Maria 31
Clara 30
Harriet 29
Jessie 25
Anne 24
Charlotte 24
Florence 24
Fanny 23
Ada 18
Eleanor 18
Frances 18
Harriett 18
Rose 18
Susan 18
Susannah 17
Caroline 16
Elizth. 16
Julia 16
Matilda 16
Kate 14
Ruth 14
Anna 13
Dorothy 13
Lucy 13
Rebecca 12
Janet 11
Minnie 10
Rachel 10
Amelia 9
Esther 9
Gertrude 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 423
William 348
James 239
Thomas 208
George 181
Robert 135
Charles 101
Henry 93
Joseph 93
Samuel 51
Alfred 48
David 44
Arthur 42
Richard 42
Edward 38
Andrew 30
Harry 30
Albert 28
Alexander 28
Frederick 27
Wm. 27
Frank 23
Walter 23
Edwin 19
Hugh 18
Peter 17
Francis 16
Herbert 15
Robt. 15
Matthew 13
Ralph 13
Ernest 12
Patrick 12
Fred 11
Isaac 11
Archibald 10
Benjamin 10
Thos. 10
Adam 9
Geo. 9
Daniel 8
Michael 8
Fredrick 7
Stephen 7
Jas. 6
Fredk. 5
Horace 5
Jno. 5
Jonathan 4
Leonard 4

FAQ

Crawford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crawford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,716 people were recorded with the Crawford surname. That placed it at #271 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crawford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 22,650 in 2016. That gives Crawford a modern rank of #263.

What does the Crawford surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "crow ford," referring to a crossing in a river where crows gather.

What does the Crawford map show?

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