NameCensus.

UK surname

Cromie

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Cromadha meaning "descendant of Cromadh".

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Cromie surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 240, ranked #17,278, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, Willesden and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Preston and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cromie is 244 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 313.8%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

240

2016, ranked #17,278

Peak year

2011

244 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cromie had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 240 in 2016, ranked #17,278.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cromie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cromie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cromie 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 97 #24,447
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 224 #16,392
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 243 #16,094
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 234 #16,543
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 230 #16,583
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 239 #17,280
2011 modern 244 #16,922
2012 modern 232 #17,401
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 240 #17,278

Geography

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Where Cromies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, Willesden, London parishes, Egremont and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle, Preston, Bradford, Torfaen and New Forest. 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Egremont Cumberland
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
2 Preston 016 Preston
3 Bradford 058 Bradford
4 Torfaen 002 Torfaen
5 New Forest 001 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cromie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cromie

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cromie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cromie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cromie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cromie 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

Cromie falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cromie

The surname Cromie is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "cromadh," which means "bent" or "crooked," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person with a physical deformity or someone who lived near a crooked or winding stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of feudal homage pledges to Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as "Cromy" and "Crombe," indicating variations in the spelling during that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Cromy, who was mentioned in the records of the Burgh of Prestwick in 1429. Another notable figure was David Cromie, a Scottish poet and writer born in 1578 in Leith, known for his satirical works.

The Cromie surname also has a connection to Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the 17th century Plantation of Ulster. One of the earliest Irish Cromies was John Cromie, a merchant from County Antrim, who was involved in the linen trade in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of William Cromie (1705-1782), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1764. Another notable figure was Francis Cromie (1726-1778), an Irish playwright and poet who wrote several works for the Dublin stage.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent Cromies, including Robert Cromie (1823-1888), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, and Thomas Cromie (1852-1917), an Irish-born Australian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.

Throughout history, the Cromie surname has been associated with various places, including the village of Cromie in County Antrim, Ireland, and the lands of Cromies in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name has also been spelled in various ways, such as Cromy, Crommy, Crombie, and Crummie, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cromie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cromie 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. Wigtownshire leads with 11 Cromies recorded in 1881 and an index of 146.47x.

County Total Index
Wigtownshire 11 146.47x
Lanarkshire 9 4.92x
Morayshire 9 102.39x
Lancashire 8 1.19x
Yorkshire 8 1.43x
Surrey 5 1.81x
Hampshire 3 2.59x
Ayrshire 1 2.36x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.92x
Cumberland 1 2.05x
Gloucestershire 1 0.90x
Middlesex 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leswalt in Wigtownshire leads with 10 Cromies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1960.78x.

Place Total Index
Leswalt 10 1960.78x
Drainie 9 1153.85x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 7 496.45x
New Monkland 7 129.39x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 75.05x
Mortlake 4 325.20x
Portsea 3 13.20x
Everton 2 9.35x
Barrow In Furness 1 10.95x
Battersea 1 4.81x
Coylton 1 166.67x
Egremont 1 86.21x
Govan 1 2.21x
Rutherglen 1 37.31x
Sculcoates 1 11.25x
Shenley Church End 1 2500.00x
Sorbie 1 303.03x
Toxteth Park 1 4.40x
Westminster St James 1 17.21x
Whitcombe Magna 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Jane 1
Lilly 1
Mary 1
Rose 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
Edward 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
John 1
Michael 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cromie households.

FAQ

Cromie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cromie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Cromie surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cromie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 240 in 2016. That gives Cromie a modern rank of #17,278.

What does the Cromie surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Cromadha meaning "descendant of Cromadh".

What does the Cromie map show?

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