NameCensus.

UK surname

Crighton

Originally from a place name, perhaps from Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,203 people recorded with the Crighton surname, ranking it #3,355 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,318, ranked #4,552, down from #3,355 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Forfar, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Deer and Mormond, Letham and Glamis and Blairgowrie West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crighton is 1,369 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

1,203

Ranked #3,355

Modern count

1,318

2016, ranked #4,552

Peak year

1999

1,369 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crighton had 1,203 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,355 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,318 in 2016, ranked #4,552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,203 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Crighton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crighton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crighton 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 666 #3,899
1861 historical 844 #3,274
1881 historical 1,203 #3,355
1891 historical 1,134 #3,753
1901 historical 1,183 #4,142
1911 historical 582 #6,995
1997 modern 1,285 #4,438
1998 modern 1,363 #4,370
1999 modern 1,369 #4,392
2000 modern 1,368 #4,374
2001 modern 1,354 #4,317
2002 modern 1,344 #4,455
2003 modern 1,286 #4,524
2004 modern 1,292 #4,512
2005 modern 1,277 #4,502
2006 modern 1,255 #4,588
2007 modern 1,276 #4,552
2008 modern 1,259 #4,644
2009 modern 1,309 #4,578
2010 modern 1,330 #4,600
2011 modern 1,315 #4,591
2012 modern 1,294 #4,591
2013 modern 1,312 #4,620
2014 modern 1,311 #4,641
2015 modern 1,300 #4,631
2016 modern 1,318 #4,552

Geography

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Where Crightons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Forfar, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Brechin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Deer and Mormond, Letham and Glamis, Blairgowrie West, Coupar Angus and Meigle and Forfar Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Forfar Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Brechin Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Deer and Mormond Aberdeenshire
2 Letham and Glamis Angus
3 Blairgowrie West Perth and Kinross
4 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
5 Forfar Central Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crighton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crighton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crighton, 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 Crighton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Crighton 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, Crighton 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

Crighton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Crighton

The surname Crighton has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "criathann," meaning "a shaking bog or marsh." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or owned land containing a shaking bog or marsh.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1263, where one Adam de Craghtoun was mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames in those early days, as they were often spelled phonetically based on regional dialects.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Crighton was Sir William Crighton, who served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1439 to 1454. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King James II of Scotland and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.

Another notable individual was Robert Crichton (1593-1672), a Scottish scholar and professor of philosophy at the University of Paris. He was a renowned intellectual and wrote several works on logic and metaphysics, contributing significantly to the philosophical discourse of his era.

In the 17th century, James Crichton (1560-1582), known as "The Admirable Crichton," gained fame as a prodigy and polymath. Born in Scotland, he was celebrated for his exceptional abilities in languages, mathematics, and various other fields, earning him the nickname "The Admirable Crichton" during his lifetime.

The surname Crighton is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Crichton Castle in Midlothian, which was the ancestral seat of the Crichton family. The castle dates back to the 14th century and has a rich history associated with the Crichton clan.

Another notable figure was John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute (1713-1792), a Scottish nobleman and landowner. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of his time.

While the surname Crighton is predominantly Scottish in origin, it has since spread to various parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its roots can be traced back to the shaking bogs and marshes of Scotland in the 12th century, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crighton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crighton 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. Angus leads with 251 Crightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.36x.

County Total Index
Angus 251 23.36x
Lancashire 178 1.29x
Aberdeenshire 121 11.26x
Lanarkshire 96 2.56x
Middlesex 60 0.52x
Midlothian 60 3.86x
Cheshire 52 2.03x
Perthshire 47 9.03x
Northumberland 34 1.97x
Renfrewshire 32 3.56x
Fife 29 4.22x
Durham 23 0.67x
Yorkshire 21 0.18x
East Lothian 20 13.02x
Kent 20 0.51x
Staffordshire 20 0.51x
Warwickshire 17 0.58x
Peeblesshire 11 20.17x
Surrey 10 0.18x
Ayrshire 8 0.92x
Cumberland 7 0.70x
Dumfriesshire 7 2.73x
Norfolk 7 0.39x
Wiltshire 7 0.68x
Derbyshire 6 0.33x
Kincardineshire 6 4.25x
Denbighshire 4 0.91x
West Lothian 4 2.29x
Glamorgan 3 0.15x
Hampshire 3 0.13x
Sussex 3 0.15x
Argyllshire 2 0.62x
Clackmannanshire 2 2.09x
Devon 2 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.64x
Gloucestershire 2 0.09x
Stirlingshire 2 0.47x
Banffshire 1 0.42x
Berwickshire 1 0.71x
Essex 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.43x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.60x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.12x
Morayshire 1 0.55x
Roxburghshire 1 0.48x
Royal Navy 1 0.72x

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 84 Crightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.94x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 84 20.94x
New Deer 29 149.10x
Forfar 28 48.13x
Liff Benvie 28 17.17x
Barony 27 2.84x
Govan 26 2.80x
Aberdeen Old Machar 24 10.70x
Birkenhead 22 10.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 3.52x
Manchester 21 3.39x
Brechin 20 47.36x
Liverpool 19 2.27x
Port Glasgow 19 43.73x
Glasgow 17 2.55x
Coupar Angus 16 157.33x
Ardwick 15 12.08x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 6.97x
Salford 14 3.46x
Ashton On Mersey 13 98.19x
Birmingham 13 1.33x
Kirriemuir 13 49.04x
Handsworth 12 12.44x
Methlick 12 139.53x
Monifieth 12 31.61x
Aberdour 11 130.02x
Bishopwearmouth 11 3.71x
Hulme 11 3.83x
Inchture 11 424.71x
St Vigeans 11 18.97x
Arbroath 10 28.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 2.99x
Blairgowrie 9 43.71x
South Leith 9 5.15x
West Greenock 9 5.58x
Acton 8 11.77x
Edinburgh St Andrews 8 62.35x
Elswick 8 5.81x
Jesmond 8 32.95x
Poplar London 8 3.65x
Stretford 8 10.57x
Tranent 8 38.54x
Wolverhampton 8 2.66x
Camberwell 7 0.94x
Cliffe 7 78.39x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.29x
Great Crosby 7 18.66x
Innerleithen 7 48.34x
Kenninghall 7 142.86x
Kirkdale 7 3.02x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 7.83x
Old Monkland 7 4.70x
Perth East Church 7 14.26x
St Pancras London 7 0.75x
Swindon 7 8.80x
Tarves 7 68.90x
Withington 7 15.79x
Bromley London 6 2.35x
Broughton In Salford 6 4.77x
Chelsea London 6 1.72x
Derby St Werburgh 6 5.72x
Dunbar 6 27.86x
Dunfermline 6 5.68x
Fordoun 6 75.85x
Fulham London 6 3.57x
Haddington 6 26.46x
Kirkcaldy 6 17.62x
Kirkden 6 89.29x
Lonmay 6 61.54x
Meldrum 6 66.30x
Newburgh 6 68.81x
Newton In Ashton Under 6 23.75x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 6 20.37x
Shettleston 6 17.87x
Stracathro 6 309.28x
Carluke 5 14.68x
Great Bolton 5 2.74x
New Monkland 5 4.51x
Shoreditch London 5 0.99x
Tweedmouth 5 23.25x
Tynemouth 5 5.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 17
Jane 15
Sarah 14
Margaret 13
Alice 9
Ann 8
Annie 7
Emma 7
Emily 5
Anne 4
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Ada 3
Betsy 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Janet 3
Kate 3
Maggie 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Alexandrina 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Dorcas 2
Elizth. 2
Georgiana 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
B. 1
Blanch 1
Cecilia 1
Christina 1
E.E. 1
E.Louisa 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 35
William 30
James 20
Robert 19
George 14
Charles 12
Alexander 7
Andrew 7
Frederick 5
Isaac 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
David 4
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Frank 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Adam 2
Duncan 2
Edwin 2
Spencer 2
Albert 1
Antony 1
Benjn.H. 1
C. 1
Carles 1
Chas. 1
Chas.S. 1
Collin 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Freddy 1
Fredrick 1
Geo 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jno.Fredk.G. 1
Joshua 1
Michael 1
Neil 1
Percy 1
R.R. 1
Richd. 1

FAQ

Crighton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crighton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,203 people were recorded with the Crighton surname. That placed it at #3,355 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crighton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,318 in 2016. That gives Crighton a modern rank of #4,552.

What does the Crighton surname mean?

Originally from a place name, perhaps from Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland.

What does the Crighton map show?

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