NameCensus.

UK surname

Croll

Scottish surname transferred from a nickname meaning "crooked" or "bent".

In the 1881 census there were 566 people recorded with the Croll surname, ranking it #6,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 775, ranked #7,102, down from #6,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fordoun, Laurencekirk and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, The Vale of Glamorgan and Brechin West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Croll is 795 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.9%.

1881 census count

566

Ranked #6,126

Modern count

775

2016, ranked #7,102

Peak year

1998

795 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Croll had 566 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 775 in 2016, ranked #7,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 632 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Croll surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Croll surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Croll 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 433 #5,664
1861 historical 480 #5,436
1881 historical 566 #6,126
1891 historical 607 #6,324
1901 historical 632 #6,787
1911 historical 233 #13,560
1997 modern 764 #6,783
1998 modern 795 #6,779
1999 modern 787 #6,888
2000 modern 760 #7,032
2001 modern 739 #7,063
2002 modern 744 #7,153
2003 modern 717 #7,239
2004 modern 749 #7,028
2005 modern 760 #6,886
2006 modern 733 #7,113
2007 modern 745 #7,091
2008 modern 754 #7,077
2009 modern 778 #7,041
2010 modern 793 #7,079
2011 modern 774 #7,133
2012 modern 743 #7,281
2013 modern 762 #7,246
2014 modern 765 #7,245
2015 modern 766 #7,187
2016 modern 775 #7,102

Geography

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Where Crolls are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, The Vale of Glamorgan, Brechin West, Tayport and Whitfield. 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 Fordoun Kincardine
2 Laurencekirk Kincardine
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Brechin Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 007 Redcar and Cleveland
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 005 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Brechin West Angus
4 Tayport Fife
5 Whitfield Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Croll

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Croll

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

Croll 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

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

Meaning and origin of Croll

The surname CROLL has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "kroll," which means "curly-haired" or "curly." This suggests that the name was originally a nickname given to someone with curly hair.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1539 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, Germany. Here, a man named Hans Croll is mentioned in the town's records. It's possible that the name had already been in use for some time before this first recorded instance.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various German records and manuscripts, including the baptismal records of the Evangelical Church in Saxony. One notable entry is the birth of Johann Croll, a German chemist and physician, in 1598 in Leszno, Poland (which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire).

As the name spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations, such as Kroll, Krolle, and Krol. These variations were likely influenced by the local dialects and languages of the regions where the name was adopted.

One of the earliest instances of the CROLL name in English records is found in the 17th century, when a family by that name settled in the American colonies. John Croll, born in 1635 in Mulheim, Germany, immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 1600s.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bore the CROLL surname:

1. Oswald Croll (1580-1609), a German alchemist and philosopher from Marburg. 2. Henry Croll (1753-1821), a British landscape painter known for his watercolor paintings. 3. Benjamin Croll (1776-1852), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. 4. James Croll (1821-1890), a Scottish scientist and climate theorist who proposed the Croll-Milankovitch theory of climate change. 5. John Croll (1856-1938), a Scottish-American architect known for his work in Seattle, Washington.

While the CROLL surname may have originated as a nickname for someone with curly hair, it has since become a proud family name carried by many individuals across different countries and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Croll families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Croll 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 194 Crolls recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.20x.

County Total Index
Angus 194 38.20x
Lanarkshire 64 3.61x
Kincardineshire 61 91.37x
Aberdeenshire 39 7.68x
Fife 39 12.02x
Perthshire 31 12.60x
Midlothian 22 3.00x
Yorkshire 22 0.40x
Renfrewshire 15 3.53x
Surrey 15 0.56x
Lancashire 11 0.17x
Middlesex 11 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.22x
Hampshire 4 0.36x
Ayrshire 3 0.73x
Clackmannanshire 3 6.63x
Gloucestershire 3 0.28x
Argyllshire 2 1.31x
Banffshire 2 1.76x
Cumberland 2 0.42x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.36x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 2.52x
Northumberland 2 0.25x
Essex 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Kent 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.49x

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 68 Crolls recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.86x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 68 35.86x
Liff Benvie 37 47.99x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 29 30.53x
Govan 29 6.61x
Brechin 24 120.24x
Laurencekirk 23 594.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 6.77x
Marykirk 20 727.27x
Barony 17 3.79x
St Andrews 17 115.10x
Glasgow 15 4.76x
Montrose 15 48.73x
Fordoun 11 294.12x
Monifieth 11 61.32x
Middlesbrough 10 14.14x
Lambeth 9 1.88x
Nottingham St Mary 9 4.71x
Scoonie 9 128.02x
Logie Pert 8 427.81x
Menmuir 8 563.38x
Moulin 8 205.66x
Perth West Church 8 68.49x
Abbey 7 10.80x
Aberdeen Old Machar 7 6.60x
Barry 7 114.75x
Bethnal Green London 7 2.94x
Cathcart 7 30.45x
Holbeck 7 19.45x
Leslie 7 85.16x
Perth Middle Church 7 75.68x
Fearn 6 1016.95x
West Derby 6 3.15x
Kinnoull 4 61.82x
Portsea 4 1.82x
St Cyrus 4 143.37x
Thornaby 4 19.70x
Toxteth Park 4 1.82x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 8.37x
Dollar 3 63.97x
Irvine 3 26.32x
Strathmiglo 3 77.32x
Banff 2 20.24x
Croydon 2 1.35x
Cupar 2 14.17x
Maryton 2 273.97x
North Shields 2 12.29x
Parton 2 149.25x
Putney 2 8.00x
St Martins 2 142.86x
St Marylebone London 2 0.68x
St Vigeans 2 7.29x
Aberlemno 1 53.19x
Arbirlot 1 64.52x
Barking 1 3.16x
Bermondsey 1 0.61x
Blackburn 1 0.58x
Blairgowrie 1 10.28x
Caldewgate 1 3.87x
Cogan 1 70.42x
Corstorphine 1 24.69x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 8.40x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 16.47x
Fettercairn 1 35.21x
Gartly 1 59.88x
Garvock 1 125.00x
Glenmuick Tullich 1 27.32x
Knapdale North 1 57.47x
Lunan 1 217.39x
Lundie 1 169.49x
New Monkland 1 1.91x
Newington 1 0.49x
Old Kilpatrick 1 5.74x
Premnay 1 57.14x
Rutherglen 1 3.84x
Shettleston 1 6.30x
St Leonards 1 68.97x
St Ninians 1 4.99x
Tibbermore 1 28.33x
West Greenock 1 1.31x
Woolwich 1 1.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Margretan 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
L. 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Sopia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
David 4
James 4
William 4
Edward 3
Thomas 3
C. 2
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Walter 2
A. 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Henry 1
R. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Croll surname: questions and answers

How common was the Croll surname in 1881?

In 1881, 566 people were recorded with the Croll surname. That placed it at #6,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Croll surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 775 in 2016. That gives Croll a modern rank of #7,102.

What does the Croll surname mean?

Scottish surname transferred from a nickname meaning "crooked" or "bent".

What does the Croll map show?

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