NameCensus.

UK surname

Crawley

Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "crow's woodland clearing" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,882 people recorded with the Crawley surname, ranking it #1,172 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,608, ranked #1,477, down from #1,172 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Swale and Blackhill and Barmulloch East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crawley is 5,156 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.7%.

1881 census count

3,882

Ranked #1,172

Modern count

4,608

2016, ranked #1,477

Peak year

1999

5,156 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crawley had 3,882 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,172 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,608 in 2016, ranked #1,477.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,546 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crawley 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 2,407 #1,233
1861 historical 2,308 #1,277
1881 historical 3,882 #1,172
1891 historical 3,967 #1,210
1901 historical 4,536 #1,258
1911 historical 4,546 #1,133
1997 modern 4,992 #1,313
1998 modern 5,152 #1,315
1999 modern 5,156 #1,328
2000 modern 5,100 #1,333
2001 modern 4,975 #1,335
2002 modern 5,027 #1,347
2003 modern 4,927 #1,341
2004 modern 4,920 #1,342
2005 modern 4,773 #1,366
2006 modern 4,749 #1,378
2007 modern 4,740 #1,395
2008 modern 4,719 #1,403
2009 modern 4,824 #1,409
2010 modern 4,874 #1,427
2011 modern 4,830 #1,426
2012 modern 4,690 #1,432
2013 modern 4,741 #1,448
2014 modern 4,754 #1,449
2015 modern 4,689 #1,455
2016 modern 4,608 #1,477

Geography

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Where Crawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Swale, Blackhill and Barmulloch East, Bromley and North Norfolk. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Swale 015 Swale
3 Blackhill and Barmulloch East Glasgow City
4 Bromley 009 Bromley
5 North Norfolk 002 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crawley

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Crawley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Crawley is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crawley 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 Crawley 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 Crawley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Crawley

The surname Crawley has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "craw" and "leah," which translates to "crow meadow" or "crow clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where crows gathered or nested.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Crawley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Crauleia." This entry is thought to refer to a settlement in the county of Bedfordshire, which later became known as the town of Crawley.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, including Crauueleye, Crawelegh, and Crawley, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time. These variations often corresponded to different regions or local dialects.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Crawley was Sir John Crawley (c. 1265 - 1324), a knight and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a member of parliament and held various positions of authority in the region.

Another prominent individual with the Crawley name was Richard Crawley (c. 1540 - 1616), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral. He is remembered for his contributions to theological discourse and his role in the translation of the King James Version of the Bible.

In the 18th century, Samuel Crawley (1705 - 1780) gained recognition as a skilled architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the church of St. Mary Woolnoth and the Foundling Hospital.

The surname Crawley has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Crawley Down in West Sussex and Crawley Green in Buckinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations in British history.

Another significant figure bearing the Crawley name was Richard Crawley (1840 - 1893), a renowned translator and scholar of Greek and Sanskrit literature. His translations of works by Homer, Aeschylus, and the ancient Indian epic Ramayana are widely acclaimed and have contributed to the understanding of these literary masterpieces in the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crawley 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 1,218 Crawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.21x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,218 3.21x
Hertfordshire 409 15.63x
Surrey 383 2.07x
Bedfordshire 278 14.14x
Lancashire 234 0.52x
Kent 150 1.16x
Essex 145 1.94x
Durham 99 0.88x
Yorkshire 83 0.22x
Northamptonshire 71 1.99x
Cheshire 64 0.76x
Huntingdonshire 57 7.56x
Lanarkshire 52 0.42x
Lincolnshire 52 0.86x
Hampshire 47 0.60x
Glamorgan 45 0.68x
Cambridgeshire 42 1.75x
Devon 42 0.53x
Sussex 42 0.66x
Northumberland 37 0.66x
Derbyshire 32 0.54x
Somerset 31 0.51x
Monmouthshire 26 0.95x
Staffordshire 21 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.83x
Oxfordshire 17 0.73x
Suffolk 17 0.37x
Berkshire 16 0.56x
Renfrewshire 16 0.54x
Gloucestershire 15 0.20x
Warwickshire 15 0.16x
Shropshire 10 0.30x
Cumberland 9 0.28x
Leicestershire 9 0.21x
Royal Navy 9 1.99x
Ayrshire 8 0.28x
Wiltshire 8 0.24x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.46x
Dorset 6 0.24x
Isle of Man 6 0.85x
Herefordshire 5 0.32x
Midlothian 5 0.10x
Stirlingshire 4 0.29x
Wigtownshire 4 0.79x
Angus 3 0.09x
Kincardineshire 3 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.06x
Westmorland 3 0.36x
Worcestershire 3 0.06x
Channel Islands 2 0.18x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
West Lothian 2 0.35x
Argyllshire 1 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.18x
Merionethshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 85 Crawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.81x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 85 23.81x
St Marylebone London 84 4.15x
Hitchin 77 65.20x
West Ham 66 3.99x
Hemel Hempstead 62 52.60x
St Pancras London 58 1.90x
Camberwell 56 2.31x
Lambeth 55 1.66x
St Giles In Fields London 54 29.00x
Bethnal Green London 52 3.15x
Paddington London 52 3.73x
Mile End Old Town London 49 6.07x
Bermondsey 47 4.16x
Islington London 47 1.28x
Poplar London 45 6.28x
Southwark St John 43 37.04x
Kensington London 39 1.85x
Luton 37 10.88x
Spitalfields London 37 12.96x
Arlesey 36 145.16x
Ratcliffe London 36 17.17x
Bedford St Paul 35 25.96x
Limehouse London 35 8.40x
Liverpool 34 1.24x
Hackney London 33 1.55x
Sandy 33 95.24x
Gateshead 32 3.79x
Battersea 30 2.15x
Whitechapel London 30 8.02x
Lee 29 15.42x
Enfield 27 10.84x
St Luke London 27 4.43x
Birkenhead 26 3.89x
Manchester 26 1.28x
Bow London 25 5.17x
Barony 22 0.71x
Clerkenwell London 22 2.46x
Southwark St Saviour 22 11.28x
Watford 22 10.85x
Ickleford 21 287.28x
Shadwell London 20 18.83x
Toddington 20 70.97x
Broxbourne 19 36.64x
Meppershall 19 187.93x
Rickmansworth 19 26.38x
Rotherhithe 19 4.05x
Shoreditch London 19 1.15x
Southwark St George Martyr 19 2.49x
West Derby 19 1.44x
Cardiff St Mary 17 4.67x
Harpenden 17 42.61x
Mile End New Town London 17 22.67x
Tottenham 17 2.81x
St Andrew Holborn London 16 9.74x
Bromley London 15 1.80x
Chelsea London 15 1.31x
St George Bloomsbury 15 6.89x
Westminster St James 15 3.84x
Aldbury 14 118.14x
Greenwich 14 2.32x
Plumstead 14 3.24x
Stoke Newington London 14 4.74x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 4.44x
Old Monkland 13 2.67x
Salford 13 0.98x
St Albans St Michael 13 44.47x
Ware 13 17.34x
Bedford St Peter 12 23.51x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.20x
Fulham London 12 2.18x
Kirkdale 12 1.58x
Leyton 12 9.30x
Toxteth Park 12 0.79x
Wellingborough 12 6.68x
Wheathampstead 12 39.70x
Beckenham 11 6.50x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 2.25x
Preston 11 0.91x
St Anne Soho London 11 5.07x
Stanstead Abbots 11 69.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 327
Elizabeth 118
Ellen 105
Sarah 96
Ann 77
Margaret 67
Alice 61
Eliza 61
Emma 58
Catherine 56
Annie 52
Jane 49
Hannah 41
Emily 40
Louisa 34
Bridget 25
Martha 22
Anne 21
Florence 20
Kate 20
Charlotte 19
Fanny 19
Harriet 18
Caroline 17
Ada 16
Julia 16
Maria 16
Rose 13
Susan 13
Isabella 12
Frances 11
Lizzie 11
Minnie 11
Clara 10
Edith 10
Gertrude 10
Elizth. 9
Harriett 9
Lucy 9
Matilda 9
Ruth 9
Susannah 9
Maud 8
Eleanor 7
Ethel 7
Johanna 7
Rachel 7
Amelia 6
Helen 6
Rebecca 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 243
William 174
James 128
George 89
Thomas 89
Charles 75
Henry 71
Alfred 56
Daniel 51
Edward 49
Michael 47
Joseph 43
Robert 37
Arthur 36
Timothy 31
Patrick 30
Cornelius 28
Frederick 28
Richard 27
Walter 25
Albert 22
Samuel 22
Harry 17
Jeremiah 17
Herbert 16
Peter 16
Frank 13
David 12
Thos. 11
Francis 10
Ernest 9
Wm. 8
Dennis 7
Denis 6
Fred 6
Hugh 6
Nicholas 6
Philip 6
Bartholomew 5
Edwin 5
Jno. 5
Sidney 5
Andrew 4
Benjamin 4
Edmund 4
Fredrick 4
Percy 4
Phillip 4
Charley 3
Geo. 3

FAQ

Crawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,882 people were recorded with the Crawley surname. That placed it at #1,172 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,608 in 2016. That gives Crawley a modern rank of #1,477.

What does the Crawley surname mean?

Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "crow's woodland clearing" in Old English.

What does the Crawley map show?

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