NameCensus.

UK surname

Cresswell

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Cresswell.

In the 1881 census there were 3,156 people recorded with the Cresswell surname, ranking it #1,425 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,179, ranked #1,094, up from #1,425 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Denby,Horsley (Kilbourne). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wychavon, Amber Valley and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cresswell is 6,594 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.8%.

1881 census count

3,156

Ranked #1,425

Modern count

6,179

2016, ranked #1,094

Peak year

1999

6,594 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cresswell had 3,156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,425 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,179 in 2016, ranked #1,094.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cresswell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cresswell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cresswell 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 1,551 #1,848
1861 historical 1,273 #2,242
1881 historical 3,156 #1,425
1891 historical 3,451 #1,380
1901 historical 4,527 #1,264
1911 historical 5,223 #1,001
1997 modern 6,315 #1,041
1998 modern 6,538 #1,044
1999 modern 6,594 #1,046
2000 modern 6,527 #1,048
2001 modern 6,389 #1,046
2002 modern 6,489 #1,053
2003 modern 6,359 #1,052
2004 modern 6,366 #1,052
2005 modern 6,273 #1,050
2006 modern 6,191 #1,059
2007 modern 6,217 #1,064
2008 modern 6,190 #1,071
2009 modern 6,333 #1,070
2010 modern 6,430 #1,080
2011 modern 6,387 #1,069
2012 modern 6,248 #1,072
2013 modern 6,341 #1,077
2014 modern 6,313 #1,088
2015 modern 6,225 #1,091
2016 modern 6,179 #1,094

Geography

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Where Cresswells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Denby,Horsley (Kilbourne), Walsall and Heanor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wychavon, Amber Valley and North East Derbyshire. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Denby,Horsley (Kilbourne) Derbyshire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Heanor Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wychavon 013 Wychavon
2 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
3 Amber Valley 015 Amber Valley
4 Amber Valley 006 Amber Valley
5 North East Derbyshire 014 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cresswell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cresswell

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

Cresswell 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

Cresswell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cresswell

The surname Cresswell is of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "the stream where watercress grows." It is believed to have originated in Northumberland or Durham in the north of England during the 12th century.

The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "cresse" meaning watercress and "well" meaning a spring or stream. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name lived near a stream or spring where watercress grew abundantly.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Cresswell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland, a census-like record from the late 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Durham from the same period, indicating its presence in both counties.

In the 14th century, a John de Cresswell is recorded as holding lands in Northumberland, and a William de Cresswell is mentioned in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Durham in the late 16th century. These early records demonstrate the surname's longstanding association with the northeastern regions of England.

Notable individuals who have borne the surname Cresswell throughout history include:

1. Richard Cresswell (c.1576-1623), an English clergyman and religious writer. 2. Samuel Cresswell (1635-1674), an English nonconformist minister and ejected minister. 3. John Cresswell (1768-1837), an English poet and writer. 4. Julia Cresswell (1827-1903), an English novelist and playwright. 5. Alfred Cresswell Baker (1833-1891), an English architect and surveyor.

The name Cresswell has also been associated with various place names, such as Cresswell in Northumberland and Cresswell Quay in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its geographical roots in England.

While the surname has spread across the English-speaking world, its origins can be traced back to the watercress-lined streams of northern England, where the earliest bearers of the name lived and worked centuries ago.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cresswell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cresswell 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. Derbyshire leads with 442 Cresswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.16x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 442 9.16x
Staffordshire 405 3.89x
Middlesex 323 1.05x
Nottinghamshire 200 4.82x
Surrey 157 1.05x
Gloucestershire 156 2.58x
Lancashire 149 0.41x
Yorkshire 143 0.47x
Warwickshire 133 1.71x
Essex 129 2.12x
Suffolk 109 2.90x
Worcestershire 89 2.21x
Sussex 72 1.39x
Kent 60 0.57x
Hampshire 59 0.93x
Cheshire 52 0.76x
Northumberland 52 1.13x
Durham 49 0.53x
Leicestershire 45 1.32x
Berkshire 31 1.34x
Buckinghamshire 30 1.61x
Devon 26 0.41x
Oxfordshire 26 1.37x
Hertfordshire 23 1.08x
Herefordshire 22 1.74x
Norfolk 22 0.46x
Lincolnshire 17 0.35x
Glamorgan 14 0.26x
Lanarkshire 12 0.12x
Monmouthshire 12 0.54x
Shropshire 11 0.41x
Bedfordshire 9 0.56x
Northamptonshire 9 0.31x
Wiltshire 9 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.41x
Dorset 7 0.35x
Renfrewshire 7 0.29x
Midlothian 6 0.15x
Brecknockshire 5 0.81x
Somerset 5 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.65x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.90x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.57x
Cornwall 2 0.06x
Fife 2 0.11x
Perthshire 2 0.14x
Royal Navy 2 0.54x
Anglesey 1 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Denby in Derbyshire leads with 81 Cresswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 550.27x.

Place Total Index
Denby 81 550.27x
St Pancras London 64 2.58x
Nottingham St Mary 59 5.49x
Walsall Foreign 59 10.98x
Aston 52 2.43x
Birmingham 50 1.93x
Radford 43 20.38x
Darlaston 40 27.83x
Tipton 40 12.56x
Pentrich 37 136.33x
Mitcham 33 34.78x
Sedgley 32 8.29x
Stoke Upon Trent 31 2.81x
Wolverhampton 29 3.63x
Alfreton 27 18.43x
Shoreditch London 26 1.95x
Manchester 25 1.52x
Croydon 23 2.76x
Islington London 23 0.77x
St Marylebone London 23 1.40x
Belper 22 23.53x
Codnor Loscoe 22 57.61x
Flyford Flavell 22 1202.19x
Bow London 21 5.35x
West Bromwich 20 3.36x
Ripley 19 31.87x
Eckington 18 15.36x
Horsley 18 62.03x
Kensington London 18 1.05x
Morton 18 193.97x
Bishops Cleeve 17 110.97x
Cheltenham 17 3.65x
Hackney London 17 0.98x
St George Hanover Square 17 3.13x
Harborne 16 4.80x
Henley On Thames 16 41.06x
Smalley 16 186.26x
Greasley 15 16.01x
Hove 15 6.58x
Lodsworth 15 208.62x
Stapleford 15 44.48x
Wednesbury 15 5.77x
Westoe 15 2.89x
Brighton 14 1.34x
Edgbaston 14 5.81x
Heanor 14 19.41x
Kingswinford 14 3.71x
Lambeth 14 0.52x
Offenham 14 240.55x
West Ham 14 1.04x
Bentworth 13 220.71x
Camberwell 13 0.66x
Church Gresley 13 16.94x
Church Lench 13 318.63x
Clapham 13 3.38x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 13 11.76x
Normanton 13 14.17x
Poplar London 13 2.24x
Staveley 13 15.19x
Wakes Colne 13 244.82x
Barony 12 0.48x
Bulwell 12 13.29x
Colchester St Giles 12 19.97x
Ipswich St Margaret 12 9.43x
Merthyr Tydfil 12 2.33x
Paddington London 12 1.06x
Tinsley 12 112.36x
Bushey 11 21.76x
Clerkenwell London 11 1.51x
Shirland 11 30.50x
Whitwick 11 25.33x
Wombourn 11 56.99x
Baylham 10 170.65x
Heston 10 9.77x
Hollingworth 10 35.66x
Ilkeston 10 7.40x
Longbenton 10 5.15x
Ogley Hay 10 46.32x
Tooting Graveney 10 23.94x
Tottenham 10 2.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Sarah 126
Elizabeth 123
Eliza 61
Ann 59
Emma 56
Hannah 51
Alice 49
Jane 46
Ellen 39
Emily 38
Annie 37
Caroline 26
Maria 26
Martha 26
Louisa 24
Harriet 22
Margaret 22
Edith 21
Harriett 20
Fanny 18
Frances 18
Agnes 15
Charlotte 15
Clara 15
Ada 14
Catherine 14
Lucy 13
Esther 12
Florence 12
Susan 11
Jessie 9
Minnie 9
Rebecca 9
Rose 9
Selina 9
Anne 8
Gertrude 8
Isabella 8
Amy 7
Matilda 7
Maud 7
Ruth 7
Sophia 7
Amelia 6
Bertha 6
Kate 6
Mabel 6
Eleanor 5
Laura 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 181
John 142
George 108
Thomas 87
James 79
Charles 73
Henry 71
Joseph 65
Alfred 41
Arthur 37
Frederick 30
Samuel 30
Robert 29
Edward 25
Walter 23
Ernest 20
Albert 19
Herbert 18
Francis 16
Benjamin 15
Richard 15
Harry 13
Isaac 12
Stephen 12
Frank 11
Elijah 10
Philip 9
Daniel 8
David 8
Reuben 8
Caleb 7
Edwin 7
Fredrick 6
Geo. 6
Wm. 6
Amos 5
Enoch 5
Timothy 5
Abraham 4
Edmund 4
Eli 4
Josiah 4
Douglas 3
Jacob 3
Jeremiah 3
Mark 3
Nathaniel 3
Peter 3
Sidney 3
Thos. 3

FAQ

Cresswell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cresswell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,156 people were recorded with the Cresswell surname. That placed it at #1,425 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cresswell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,179 in 2016. That gives Cresswell a modern rank of #1,094.

What does the Cresswell surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Cresswell.

What does the Cresswell map show?

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