NameCensus.

UK surname

Cripps

Derived from a medieval nickname for a person with a crippled or lame arm or leg.

In the 1881 census there were 2,907 people recorded with the Cripps surname, ranking it #1,541 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,646, ranked #1,867, down from #1,541 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Waddesdon, Fleet Marston and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Portsmouth, Wiltshire and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cripps is 4,263 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.4%.

1881 census count

2,907

Ranked #1,541

Modern count

3,646

2016, ranked #1,867

Peak year

1911

4,263 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cripps had 2,907 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,541 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,646 in 2016, ranked #1,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,263 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cripps surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cripps surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cripps 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 1,678 #1,715
1861 historical 1,782 #1,629
1881 historical 2,907 #1,541
1891 historical 3,237 #1,468
1901 historical 3,841 #1,467
1911 historical 4,263 #1,216
1997 modern 3,889 #1,669
1998 modern 4,024 #1,682
1999 modern 4,021 #1,693
2000 modern 4,044 #1,672
2001 modern 3,921 #1,688
2002 modern 3,986 #1,694
2003 modern 3,893 #1,700
2004 modern 3,895 #1,704
2005 modern 3,742 #1,750
2006 modern 3,786 #1,724
2007 modern 3,793 #1,738
2008 modern 3,802 #1,743
2009 modern 3,869 #1,758
2010 modern 3,896 #1,781
2011 modern 3,845 #1,785
2012 modern 3,716 #1,809
2013 modern 3,834 #1,785
2014 modern 3,804 #1,809
2015 modern 3,713 #1,839
2016 modern 3,646 #1,867

Geography

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Where Cripps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Waddesdon, Fleet Marston, Portsmouth, Portsea and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Portsmouth, Wiltshire, West Berkshire, Basingstoke and Deane and Medway. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Waddesdon, Fleet Marston Buckinghamshire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Portsmouth 004 Portsmouth
2 Wiltshire 019 Wiltshire
3 West Berkshire 014 West Berkshire
4 Basingstoke and Deane 001 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Medway 003 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cripps

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cripps

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Cripps surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cripps household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cripps is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cripps is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cripps

The surname Cripps originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "crippen," meaning to bend or stoop. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who had a physical disability or a distinct posture.

Cripps is believed to have originated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, where it was most prevalent in its early days. The name can be found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a William Crippes.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hunterian Manuscripts, a collection of historical documents held at the University of Glasgow. One entry from 1379 refers to a John Cryppys.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England completed in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Cripps. However, it does mention several place names that could be related to the surname's origins, such as Cripplegate in London.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cripps was Sir William Cripps (c.1500-1571), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Cirencester in 1547 and 1553.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Stafford Cripps (1889-1952), a prominent British Labour politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1947 to 1950.

Richard Stafford Cripps (1776-1835), an English clergyman and writer, was the author of several works, including "A Practical Treatise on the Construction of Horizontal Windmills."

Thomas Cripps (1633-1719) was an English lawyer and author who wrote "A Treatise on the Laws of the Church" and served as a member of the Inner Temple.

Robert Cripps (1792-1858) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Andrew in Holborn.

While the name Cripps has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and colonization. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational and descriptive names of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cripps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cripps 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 552 Cripps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 552 1.94x
Kent 311 3.21x
Surrey 309 2.23x
Berkshire 254 11.91x
Hampshire 191 3.28x
Oxfordshire 178 10.15x
Sussex 162 3.38x
Buckinghamshire 153 8.91x
Gloucestershire 151 2.71x
Wiltshire 144 5.73x
Essex 110 1.96x
Hertfordshire 65 3.32x
Yorkshire 63 0.22x
Lancashire 52 0.15x
Monmouthshire 26 1.27x
Bedfordshire 25 1.70x
Derbyshire 19 0.43x
Devon 17 0.29x
Somerset 13 0.28x
Warwickshire 13 0.18x
Leicestershire 12 0.38x
Worcestershire 12 0.32x
Durham 11 0.13x
Dorset 10 0.54x
Northamptonshire 10 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.26x
Glamorgan 7 0.14x
Suffolk 6 0.17x
Royal Navy 5 1.48x
Staffordshire 5 0.05x
Norfolk 4 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.44x
Cornwall 2 0.06x
Herefordshire 2 0.17x
Shropshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 95 Cripps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.33x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 95 8.33x
Islington London 47 1.71x
Brighton 43 4.45x
Camberwell 40 2.20x
Cheltenham 34 7.91x
Foulness 32 464.44x
St Marylebone London 32 2.11x
Waddesdon Westcott 32 595.90x
Hackney London 31 1.95x
Richmond 31 15.98x
Kensington London 29 1.84x
St Pancras London 29 1.27x
Bermondsey 28 3.31x
Lambeth 28 1.13x
Tonbridge 28 8.01x
Shoreditch London 27 2.19x
Hemel Hempstead 26 29.47x
Chelsea London 25 2.92x
Egham 25 29.42x
Hammersmith London 25 3.57x
Waddesdon 25 304.88x
Chisledon 24 209.97x
Lewisham 24 4.64x
Watford 24 15.81x
Battersea 23 2.20x
Stratton St Margaret 21 54.50x
Mile End Old Town London 20 3.31x
Paddington London 20 1.91x
St George Hanover Square 20 4.00x
Horsham 19 20.42x
Reading St Giles 19 9.08x
Croydon 18 2.34x
Poplar London 18 3.36x
Bow London 17 4.70x
Reading St Mary 17 9.95x
Titchfield 17 38.74x
Bucklebury 16 144.14x
Clewer 16 18.32x
Oxford St Thomas 16 19.55x
Caddington 15 69.64x
Clapham 15 4.22x
Tadley 15 151.36x
Bampton 14 103.24x
Harmondsworth 14 79.37x
Kingston On Thames 14 4.21x
Oxford St Aldate 14 75.80x
West Peckham 14 313.20x
Westminster St James 14 4.79x
Chislehurst 13 25.01x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.74x
Edmonton 13 5.68x
Faversham 13 14.07x
Hendon 13 12.72x
Leeds 13 0.82x
Liddington 13 320.99x
Rothwell 13 22.87x
South Moreton 13 407.52x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 2.27x
Westcott 13 572.69x
Bromley 12 8.12x
Hornsey 12 3.34x
Ightham 12 98.52x
Rochford 12 73.53x
Teddington London 12 18.65x
Upton Cum Chalvey 12 17.54x
Chilton Foliat 11 201.10x
Cirencester 11 14.58x
Hampstead Norris 11 82.09x
Heanor 11 16.54x
Leybourne 11 408.92x
Leyton Low 11 9.65x
Loughborough 11 7.70x
New Windsor 11 15.35x
Nuffield 11 526.32x
Bray 10 15.96x
Dorking 10 10.76x
Frocester 10 377.36x
Hastings St Mary 10 8.39x
Swindon 10 5.13x
Washington 10 121.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 167
Elizabeth 106
Sarah 89
Ellen 56
Jane 56
Alice 54
Eliza 54
Emma 51
Annie 45
Ann 43
Emily 32
Charlotte 28
Fanny 27
Edith 26
Ada 25
Hannah 23
Louisa 23
Florence 22
Harriet 22
Frances 20
Martha 20
Caroline 19
Maria 18
Susan 17
Kate 15
Harriett 12
Agnes 11
Clara 11
Isabella 11
Margaret 11
Anne 10
Esther 9
Julia 9
Matilda 9
Rose 9
Amy 8
Catherine 8
Lucy 7
Rachel 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Amelia 5
Eleanor 5
Eva 5
Jessie 5
Minnie 5
Ruth 5
Bessie 4
Gertrude 4
Lydia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 160
John 138
George 136
James 88
Henry 86
Charles 81
Thomas 77
Alfred 50
Richard 50
Frederick 35
Joseph 34
Edward 31
Arthur 27
Walter 27
Harry 23
David 20
Samuel 19
Albert 18
Ernest 16
Robert 14
Francis 12
Frank 12
Edwin 11
Mark 11
Stephen 11
Herbert 9
Isaac 8
Daniel 7
Andrew 6
Benjamin 6
Wm. 6
Fred 5
Tom 5
Edmund 4
Giles 4
Horace 4
Percy 4
Willie 4
Willm. 4
Eli 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Harold 3
Levi 3
Louis 3
Phillip 3
Adam 2
Jessie 2
Job 2
Nathaniel 2

FAQ

Cripps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cripps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,907 people were recorded with the Cripps surname. That placed it at #1,541 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cripps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,646 in 2016. That gives Cripps a modern rank of #1,867.

What does the Cripps surname mean?

Derived from a medieval nickname for a person with a crippled or lame arm or leg.

What does the Cripps map show?

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