NameCensus.

UK surname

Crichton

A Scottish surname derived from lands near the town of Crichton in Midlothian.

In the 1881 census there were 2,558 people recorded with the Crichton surname, ranking it #1,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,208, ranked #2,119, down from #1,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ17, Rothesay Town and Blairgowrie East (Rattray).

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crichton is 3,263 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.4%.

1881 census count

2,558

Ranked #1,750

Modern count

3,208

2016, ranked #2,119

Peak year

1901

3,263 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crichton had 2,558 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,208 in 2016, ranked #2,119.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,263 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Crichton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crichton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crichton 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 1,737 #1,663
1861 historical 1,747 #1,650
1881 historical 2,558 #1,750
1891 historical 2,868 #1,654
1901 historical 3,263 #1,706
1911 historical 536 #7,432
1997 modern 3,018 #2,136
1998 modern 3,152 #2,129
1999 modern 3,170 #2,131
2000 modern 3,220 #2,088
2001 modern 3,105 #2,111
2002 modern 3,139 #2,143
2003 modern 3,041 #2,158
2004 modern 3,062 #2,142
2005 modern 3,084 #2,093
2006 modern 3,065 #2,110
2007 modern 3,106 #2,104
2008 modern 3,126 #2,113
2009 modern 3,186 #2,121
2010 modern 3,226 #2,140
2011 modern 3,163 #2,157
2012 modern 3,111 #2,154
2013 modern 3,183 #2,148
2014 modern 3,211 #2,147
2015 modern 3,197 #2,135
2016 modern 3,208 #2,119

Geography

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Where Crichtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Old Monkland and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ17, Rothesay Town, Blairgowrie East (Rattray), IZ20 and Barlanark. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Old Monkland Lanark
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ17 West Dunbartonshire
2 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
3 Blairgowrie East (Rattray) Perth and Kinross
4 IZ20 East Lothian
5 Barlanark Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crichton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crichton

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Crichton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Crichton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crichton 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

Crichton 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

Crichton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Crichton

The surname Crichton has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "crìch" meaning boundary and "tun" meaning farm or settlement, suggesting a location near a border or territorial limit. The name is associated with the Crichton family, who held lands in Midlothian, Scotland.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists William de Crichton as a landowner who swore fealty to Edward I of England. In the 14th century, Sir William Crichton was a prominent Scottish nobleman and Lord Chancellor of Scotland under King James II.

The Crichton name is also linked to the historic Crichton Castle, located in Midlothian, which was the ancestral seat of the Crichton family for centuries. The castle dates back to the 14th century and played a significant role in Scottish history, hosting several notable events and figures.

In the 16th century, Robert Crichton of Eliok (c. 1520 - c. 1580) was a Scottish nobleman and Lord Advocate of Scotland, known for his involvement in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Another notable figure was James Crichton (c. 1560 - 1582), also known as "The Admirable Crichton," a Scottish scholar, polymath, and talented swordsman.

The surname Crichton has also been associated with several other historical figures, including Sir Evan Crichton (c. 1540 - c. 1619), a Scottish military commander and diplomat, and Andrew Crichton (c. 1790 - 1855), a Scottish naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions.

Throughout its history, the Crichton surname has been spelled in various ways, including Creighton, Crighton, and Creychtoun, reflecting the regional variations and evolving spellings over time. The name has also been linked to several place names, such as Crichton in Midlothian and Crichton in Dumfries and Galloway, further emphasizing its Scottish origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crichton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crichton 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 481 Crichtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.97x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 481 5.97x
Angus 297 12.86x
Fife 268 18.16x
Midlothian 259 7.76x
Perthshire 216 19.31x
Aberdeenshire 138 5.98x
Lancashire 84 0.28x
Middlesex 82 0.33x
Ayrshire 81 4.34x
Renfrewshire 68 3.52x
Ross-shire 50 7.31x
Surrey 48 0.40x
Dumfriesshire 47 8.54x
Stirlingshire 40 4.35x
Durham 34 0.46x
West Lothian 31 8.26x
Dunbartonshire 27 4.03x
Yorkshire 27 0.11x
Clackmannanshire 26 12.63x
East Lothian 25 7.57x
Kent 24 0.28x
Cheshire 16 0.29x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 4.43x
Roxburghshire 16 3.54x
Cumberland 13 0.61x
Essex 13 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.80x
Northumberland 12 0.32x
Selkirkshire 12 5.32x
Hampshire 11 0.22x
Sussex 11 0.26x
Orkney 9 3.28x
Kinross-shire 7 11.11x
Kincardineshire 5 1.65x
Radnorshire 4 1.99x
Royal Navy 4 1.35x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.30x
Devon 3 0.06x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Hertfordshire 3 0.17x
Morayshire 3 0.77x
Norfolk 3 0.08x
Argyllshire 2 0.29x
Banffshire 2 0.39x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Derbyshire 2 0.05x
Dorset 2 0.12x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Worcestershire 2 0.06x
Anglesey 1 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.08x
Berwickshire 1 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Nairnshire 1 1.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 142 Crichtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.47x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 142 16.47x
Barony 110 5.39x
Govan 90 4.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 87 6.48x
Old Monkland 84 26.26x
Glasgow 63 4.40x
Liff Benvie 52 14.84x
Stornoway 50 56.05x
South Leith 45 11.98x
Markinch 43 85.85x
Collessie 27 158.92x
Abbey 24 8.14x
Dysart 24 24.15x
Stirling 23 19.84x
Abbotshall 22 39.91x
Auchterless 22 120.02x
Dalkeith 21 31.88x
Old Cumnock 21 50.57x
Shettleston 21 29.10x
Auchterderran 20 53.92x
Little Dunkeld 20 105.37x
Bothwell 19 8.69x
Kilmarnock 19 8.56x
Kirkdale 19 3.82x
Leslie 19 50.86x
Aberdeen Old Machar 18 3.74x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 18 4.17x
Perth St Pauls 18 69.50x
Sanquhar 18 93.02x
West Derby 18 2.08x
Kensington London 17 1.23x
Meigle 17 204.33x
Perth East Church 17 16.12x
Newington 16 1.74x
Alloa 15 15.03x
Alyth 15 49.82x
Carluke 15 20.49x
Dumfries 15 27.62x
Gateshead 15 2.70x
Haddington 15 30.78x
Kirkcaldy 15 20.50x
Old Deer 15 34.29x
Duddingston 14 20.89x
Edinburgh St Marys 14 21.57x
Kinnoull 14 47.60x
St George Hanover Square 14 3.19x
Tibbermore 14 87.34x
Auchtergaven 13 69.33x
Barry 13 46.91x
Arbroath 12 15.68x
Redgorton 12 96.70x
St Andrews 12 17.88x
Hulme 11 1.78x
Lambeth 11 0.51x
Lanark 11 16.96x
Liscard 11 11.10x
Tillicoultry 11 24.02x
West Greenock 11 3.17x
Dalserf 10 12.43x
Dreghorn 10 29.61x
Monifieth 10 12.26x
Penicuik 10 22.04x
Tannadice 10 93.02x
Whitburn 10 18.44x
Barrow In Furness 9 2.24x
Chester Le Street 9 15.81x
East Greenock 9 4.93x
Firth Stenness 9 76.53x
Fyvie 9 23.89x
Hackney London 9 0.64x
Horton 9 122.62x
Kettle 9 50.82x
Linlithgow 9 18.70x
Newtyle 9 115.09x
Row 9 10.39x
Shotts 9 9.33x
Abernethy 8 54.76x
Ballingry 8 87.91x
Lonmay 8 38.19x
Yester 8 100.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 16
Margaret 14
Annie 10
Jane 8
Anna 7
Florence 6
Isabella 6
Martha 6
Agnes 5
Anne 5
Emma 5
Sarah 5
Edith 4
Emily 4
Frances 4
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Grace 3
Jessie 3
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Evelyn 2
Giffard 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Janet 2
Margt. 2
Marion 2
Minnie 2
Allice 1
Amy 1
Arabella 1
Beatrice 1
Blanche 1
C. 1
Enis 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Hon.Constance 1
Jannet 1
Jeanie 1
Jeannie 1
Jenie 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 19
Alexander 12
George 12
Thomas 12
David 10
James 10
Robert 9
Charles 7
Henry 7
Andrew 5
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Archd. 2
Douglas 2
Duncan 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Hugh 2
Joseph 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
W. 2
Andw. 1
Colin 1
Constantine 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
G.E.A. 1
Harry 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Lewis 1
Livingston 1
Llewellyn 1
Patrick 1
Reginald 1
Reyneld 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Sydney 1
Wm.N. 1

FAQ

Crichton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crichton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,558 people were recorded with the Crichton surname. That placed it at #1,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crichton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,208 in 2016. That gives Crichton a modern rank of #2,119.

What does the Crichton surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from lands near the town of Crichton in Midlothian.

What does the Crichton map show?

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