NameCensus.

UK surname

Crocker

An occupational surname referring to a potter who made pottery from clay.

In the 1881 census there were 4,000 people recorded with the Crocker surname, ranking it #1,131 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,220, ranked #1,605, down from #1,131 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crocker is 4,742 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.5%.

1881 census count

4,000

Ranked #1,131

Modern count

4,220

2016, ranked #1,605

Peak year

1911

4,742 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crocker had 4,000 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,131 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,220 in 2016, ranked #1,605.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,742 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crocker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crocker surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Crocker 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 2,716 #1,082
1861 historical 2,229 #1,321
1881 historical 4,000 #1,131
1891 historical 3,964 #1,211
1901 historical 4,620 #1,224
1911 historical 4,742 #1,090
1997 modern 4,312 #1,514
1998 modern 4,455 #1,518
1999 modern 4,494 #1,518
2000 modern 4,478 #1,516
2001 modern 4,349 #1,523
2002 modern 4,418 #1,529
2003 modern 4,313 #1,529
2004 modern 4,266 #1,554
2005 modern 4,152 #1,572
2006 modern 4,210 #1,552
2007 modern 4,263 #1,550
2008 modern 4,296 #1,543
2009 modern 4,379 #1,556
2010 modern 4,406 #1,576
2011 modern 4,367 #1,568
2012 modern 4,235 #1,585
2013 modern 4,326 #1,585
2014 modern 4,345 #1,588
2015 modern 4,282 #1,592
2016 modern 4,220 #1,605

Geography

Back to top

Where Crockers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and Bridgwater, Goathurst, Durleigh, Wembdon, Chilton Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Bridgwater, Goathurst, Durleigh, Wembdon, Chilton Trinity Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 017 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 024 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 019 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Crocker

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Crocker

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crocker 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

Crocker is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crocker falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crocker

The surname Crocker originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "crocor," which referred to a potter or maker of earthenware vessels. It is thought to have emerged as an occupational name during the Anglo-Saxon period, possibly as early as the 8th or 9th century.

Records indicate that the name was present in various parts of England, including Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Crochere" and "Crocherman."

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Crockere" or "Crokker," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. Some early examples include Walter le Crockere, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, and John Crokker, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273.

The surname Crocker has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Crokker, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the late 14th century and served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1387 to 1392. Another notable bearer of the name was Walter Crokker, who was the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1335 to 1349.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes linked to place names, such as Crocker's Moor in Somerset and Crocker's Green in Shropshire. This suggests that some Crockers may have derived their surname from the names of these localities.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Crocker was Henry Crocker (1778-1848), an American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Crocker Bank in San Francisco and played a significant role in the development of California's economy in the early 19th century.

Other notable Crockers include Samuel Crocker (1630-1685), an early settler of Cape Cod and one of the founders of Barnstable, Massachusetts; Charles Crocker (1822-1888), an American businessman and one of the "Big Four" investors who financed the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad; and William Crocker (1761-1854), an American Revolutionary War soldier and one of the founders of Belchertown, Massachusetts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Crocker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crocker 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. Devon leads with 1,111 Crockers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.60x.

County Total Index
Devon 1,111 13.60x
Somerset 453 7.17x
Middlesex 414 1.06x
Cornwall 386 8.69x
Dorset 350 13.59x
Surrey 236 1.23x
Gloucestershire 145 1.88x
Hampshire 145 1.80x
Berkshire 123 4.18x
Kent 110 0.82x
Lancashire 91 0.20x
Glamorgan 90 1.32x
Sussex 48 0.73x
Yorkshire 42 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 24 1.01x
Essex 20 0.26x
Wiltshire 18 0.52x
Channel Islands 15 1.29x
Lincolnshire 15 0.24x
Oxfordshire 14 0.58x
Carmarthenshire 13 0.79x
Northumberland 13 0.22x
Durham 12 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.23x
Royal Navy 12 2.57x
Worcestershire 12 0.23x
Ayrshire 9 0.31x
Monmouthshire 9 0.32x
Hertfordshire 8 0.30x
Midlothian 7 0.13x
Cheshire 6 0.07x
Norfolk 6 0.10x
Shropshire 6 0.18x
Warwickshire 6 0.06x
Cumberland 5 0.15x
Derbyshire 5 0.08x
Flintshire 4 0.38x
Renfrewshire 4 0.13x
Herefordshire 3 0.19x
Leicestershire 3 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.62x
Northamptonshire 2 0.05x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Angus 1 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.07x
Fife 1 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.18x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.08x
Roxburghshire 1 0.14x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Suffolk 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 99 Crockers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.74x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 99 15.74x
Tormoham 89 25.76x
Plymouth Charles The 73 20.29x
Bridgewater 57 33.25x
Stoke Damerel 56 9.80x
Lambeth 55 1.61x
St Marylebone London 50 2.39x
Bedminster 46 7.75x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 46 6.35x
St Pancras London 46 1.46x
Swansea Town 45 8.03x
Kensington London 42 1.93x
South Tawton 36 213.78x
Madron Penzance 33 20.43x
Butcombe 32 1269.84x
Bermondsey 31 2.65x
East Stonehouse 31 19.27x
Portsea 31 1.97x
St Austell 31 20.42x
Melcombe Regis 29 27.17x
Paddington London 29 2.01x
Tywardreath 29 101.65x
Sherborne 28 36.92x
Camborne 27 14.75x
Ermington 27 90.88x
Fulham London 24 4.22x
Kintbury 24 105.49x
Swimbridge 23 139.31x
Westbury On Trym 23 8.82x
West Looe 22 188.03x
Wolborough 22 21.31x
Calstock 21 24.11x
Caundle Stourton 20 398.41x
Warfield 20 74.79x
Wyke Regis 20 54.13x
Clifton 19 4.88x
Corfe Castle 19 79.60x
Southampton St Mary 19 3.76x
Tiverton 18 12.80x
Croydon 17 1.60x
Hatherleigh 17 83.66x
Poplar London 17 2.30x
Winkleigh 17 103.66x
Brighton 16 1.20x
Chittlehampton 16 79.40x
Okehampton 16 51.95x
Burnley 15 3.83x
Exeter St Sidwell 15 8.02x
Newton Abbot St Mary 15 21.89x
Sturminster 15 60.07x
Totnes 15 31.40x
Walcot 15 4.46x
Batcombe 14 813.95x
Bristol St Paul In 14 6.83x
Castleton 14 3.01x
Diptford 14 156.95x
Henley On Thames 14 28.20x
Highampton 14 350.88x
Ladock 14 111.29x
Leigh 14 257.83x
Morden 14 128.32x
Sampford Courtenay 14 114.66x
West Ham 14 0.82x
Yeovil 14 10.91x
Bideford 13 14.86x
Camberwell 13 0.52x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.26x
Hammersmith London 13 1.35x
Isle Abbotts 13 278.37x
Lapford 13 162.91x
Newington 13 0.90x
Bradford 12 237.15x
Crewkerne 12 17.89x
Dulverton 12 64.90x
East Looe 12 66.63x
Ilminster 12 27.20x
Royal Navy 12 3.00x
St George Hanover Square 12 1.74x
Staverton 12 119.64x
Tottenham 12 1.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 277
Elizabeth 159
Sarah 112
Jane 82
Eliza 72
Emily 71
Ann 69
Emma 68
Ellen 67
Annie 47
Alice 44
Louisa 42
Edith 34
Susan 34
Martha 33
Caroline 31
Hannah 28
Fanny 27
Charlotte 25
Florence 25
Maria 25
Matilda 22
Bessie 21
Amelia 19
Kate 19
Harriet 18
Ada 17
Anne 16
Catherine 16
Margaret 16
Clara 15
Rose 15
Grace 14
Jessie 13
Laura 13
Agnes 11
Julia 11
Lucy 11
Amy 9
Beatrice 8
Elizth. 8
Harriett 8
Maud 8
Rebecca 8
Selina 8
Ethel 7
Frances 7
Mabel 7
Sophia 7
Flora 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 258
John 222
George 132
James 128
Thomas 110
Charles 106
Henry 98
Samuel 53
Richard 45
Alfred 44
Frederick 44
Albert 41
Joseph 39
Robert 36
Edward 30
Walter 29
Harry 28
Edwin 23
Arthur 20
Francis 20
Ernest 18
Frank 17
Herbert 17
Stephen 10
Wm. 10
Isaac 9
Philip 9
Reginald 8
Sydney 8
Thos. 8
Tom 8
David 7
Fred 7
Fredk. 7
Benjamin 6
Chas. 6
Jonathan 6
Phillip 6
Willie 6
Willm. 6
Jacob 5
Sidney 5
Anthony 4
Archibald 4
Daniel 4
Edmond 4
Fredrick 4
Alfd. 3
Percy 3
Peter 3

FAQ

Crocker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crocker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,000 people were recorded with the Crocker surname. That placed it at #1,131 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crocker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,220 in 2016. That gives Crocker a modern rank of #1,605.

What does the Crocker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a potter who made pottery from clay.

What does the Crocker map show?

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