NameCensus.

UK surname

Croker

A surname derived from the Old French word "crochet", referring to someone who used a hooked staff.

In the 1881 census there were 893 people recorded with the Croker surname, ranking it #4,264 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,168, ranked #5,064, down from #4,264 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Powys and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Croker is 1,273 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.8%.

1881 census count

893

Ranked #4,264

Modern count

1,168

2016, ranked #5,064

Peak year

1998

1,273 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Croker had 893 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,264 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,168 in 2016, ranked #5,064.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,244 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Croker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Croker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Croker 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 710 #3,675
1861 historical 660 #4,061
1881 historical 893 #4,264
1891 historical 949 #4,361
1901 historical 1,063 #4,538
1911 historical 1,244 #3,810
1997 modern 1,223 #4,639
1998 modern 1,273 #4,658
1999 modern 1,273 #4,690
2000 modern 1,268 #4,679
2001 modern 1,232 #4,698
2002 modern 1,255 #4,721
2003 modern 1,213 #4,763
2004 modern 1,194 #4,829
2005 modern 1,158 #4,914
2006 modern 1,175 #4,862
2007 modern 1,178 #4,891
2008 modern 1,180 #4,900
2009 modern 1,208 #4,913
2010 modern 1,210 #5,008
2011 modern 1,207 #4,945
2012 modern 1,151 #5,084
2013 modern 1,167 #5,113
2014 modern 1,204 #5,003
2015 modern 1,180 #5,048
2016 modern 1,168 #5,064

Geography

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Where Crokers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Powys, Wiltshire, Bristol and North Kesteven. 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 Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe Somerset
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 024 North Somerset
2 Powys 014 Powys
3 Wiltshire 047 Wiltshire
4 Bristol 001 Bristol, City of
5 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Croker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Croker

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Croker 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

Croker 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

Croker falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Croker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Croker

The surname Croker is of English origin, derived from the old English word 'crok', meaning 'a crooked person or thing'. It is believed to have originated in the 9th century as a descriptive nickname for someone with a crooked or deformed body.

Croker is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England conducted by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various forms, such as Croc, Crocus, and Crokat, indicating its early variations in spelling.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Richard le Croker, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk in 1195. Another early record is of William Croker, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

The name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Crocker's Moor in Dorset and Croker Hill in Somerset. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Croker surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Croker include John Wilson Croker (1780-1857), an Irish statesman and author who served as the Secretary to the Admiralty. Another was Daines Barrington Croker (1785-1857), an English antiquary and writer who published works on Irish folklore and fairy tales.

In the 19th century, Thomas Crofton Croker (1798-1854) was an Irish antiquary and writer known for his collection of Irish folklore and legends. His most famous work, "Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland," published in 1825, helped preserve many traditional Irish tales.

In the United States, one of the earliest bearers of the name was John Croker, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Richard Croker (1843-1922), an American politician and leader of the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City in the late 19th century.

The Croker surname has also been associated with various professions and trades throughout history, including writers, politicians, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Croker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Croker 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 194 Crokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 194 2.22x
Surrey 130 3.06x
Somerset 111 7.91x
Gloucestershire 91 5.32x
Devon 67 3.69x
Hampshire 45 2.52x
Glamorgan 40 2.63x
Lancashire 38 0.37x
Wiltshire 21 2.72x
Yorkshire 19 0.22x
Essex 18 1.05x
Kent 16 0.54x
Cheshire 15 0.78x
Lincolnshire 11 0.79x
Warwickshire 9 0.41x
Sussex 7 0.48x
Cornwall 6 0.61x
Derbyshire 6 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.95x
Dorset 5 0.87x
Berkshire 4 0.61x
Caernarfonshire 4 1.13x
Carmarthenshire 4 1.09x
Northumberland 4 0.31x
Channel Islands 3 1.16x
Durham 3 0.12x
Worcestershire 3 0.26x
Norfolk 2 0.15x
Northamptonshire 2 0.24x
Oxfordshire 2 0.37x
Suffolk 2 0.19x
Angus 1 0.12x
Herefordshire 1 0.28x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Monmouthshire 1 0.16x
Renfrewshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.96x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 50 Crokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.58x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 50 6.58x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 30 18.63x
Islington London 28 3.31x
Bridgewater 26 68.22x
Camberwell 26 4.67x
Newington 25 7.76x
St Luke London 24 17.16x
Bow London 17 15.31x
Ellisfield 17 2236.84x
Bedminster 15 11.37x
Portsea 15 4.28x
Toxteth Park 15 4.28x
Hackney London 14 2.86x
Plymouth St Andrew 14 10.01x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 14 63.23x
Tormoham 13 16.92x
Bermondsey 12 4.62x
West Ham 12 3.16x
Bethnal Green London 11 2.90x
St Pancras London 11 1.57x
Whaplode 11 231.58x
Cheltenham 10 7.58x
Isleworth 10 25.79x
Hornsey 9 8.16x
Kensington London 9 1.86x
Blagdon 8 270.27x
Hammersmith London 8 3.72x
Liverpool 8 1.27x
Newnham 8 182.23x
Pewsham 8 701.75x
Chelsea London 7 2.66x
Chippenham 7 43.29x
Croydon 7 2.97x
Greenwich 7 5.04x
Hutton 7 679.61x
Leeds 7 1.43x
Shoreditch London 7 1.85x
Stoke Gifford 7 679.61x
Aberdare 6 5.76x
Chew Stoke 6 288.46x
Clase 6 10.63x
Hunslet 6 4.45x
Llanwonno 6 11.00x
Marshfield 6 131.29x
Wembdon 6 144.58x
Badgworth 5 595.24x
Bristol St Paul In 5 10.97x
Chesterfield 5 9.77x
Christ Church Newgate 5 123.15x
Dittisham 5 279.33x
Exford 5 367.65x
Mile End Old Town London 5 2.69x
Worle 5 173.01x
Aberavon 4 28.63x
Basingstoke 4 19.46x
Bristol St George 4 5.06x
Carmarthen St Peter 4 12.73x
Clawton 4 300.75x
Coventry St Michael 4 5.66x
Gelligaer 4 11.53x
Liskeard 4 24.21x
Llandilo Talybont 4 50.19x
Lyncombe Widcombe 4 10.88x
Medmenham 4 400.00x
Paddington London 4 1.25x
Rotherhithe 4 3.71x
Seagry 4 888.89x
Swansea Town 4 3.21x
Walthamstow 4 6.46x
Walton On Hill 4 7.14x
Weston Super Mare 4 11.28x
Wimborne 4 57.72x
Ynyscynhaiarn 4 24.36x
Brighton 3 1.01x
Hove 3 4.65x
Plymouth Charles The 3 3.75x
St Ann Blackfriars London 3 186.34x
Westminster St James 3 3.35x
Weston 3 27.80x
Wrington 3 63.69x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 52
William 42
George 30
Henry 26
James 24
Thomas 20
Charles 16
Walter 14
Arthur 13
Edward 12
Albert 10
Francis 10
Samuel 9
Edwin 8
Frederick 8
Richard 8
Frank 7
Joseph 7
Alfred 5
Robert 5
Ernest 4
Hugh 4
Sydney 4
Cornelius 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Frances 2
Fredk. 2
Henery 2
Lewis 2
Nathaniel 2
Philip 2
Ruben 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Danl. 1
Edgar 1
Fredk.J. 1
Harold 1
Jonathan 1
Josias 1
Lindey 1
Linuscear 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Zebedee 1

FAQ

Croker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Croker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 893 people were recorded with the Croker surname. That placed it at #4,264 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Croker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,168 in 2016. That gives Croker a modern rank of #5,064.

What does the Croker surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "crochet", referring to someone who used a hooked staff.

What does the Croker map show?

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