NameCensus.

UK surname

Crooks

A surname referring to someone with a crooked back, a cripple, or a dishonest or unscrupulous person.

In the 1881 census there were 2,308 people recorded with the Crooks surname, ranking it #1,934 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,848, ranked #1,760, up from #1,934 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Redcar and Cleveland and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crooks is 4,017 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.7%.

1881 census count

2,308

Ranked #1,934

Modern count

3,848

2016, ranked #1,760

Peak year

2010

4,017 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crooks had 2,308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,934 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016, ranked #1,760.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,985 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crooks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crooks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crooks 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 1,571 #1,834
1861 historical 1,644 #1,739
1881 historical 2,308 #1,934
1891 historical 2,526 #1,876
1901 historical 2,985 #1,875
1911 historical 2,811 #1,850
1997 modern 3,803 #1,705
1998 modern 3,890 #1,731
1999 modern 3,961 #1,720
2000 modern 3,926 #1,726
2001 modern 3,828 #1,731
2002 modern 3,916 #1,731
2003 modern 3,790 #1,756
2004 modern 3,814 #1,743
2005 modern 3,777 #1,738
2006 modern 3,724 #1,764
2007 modern 3,746 #1,762
2008 modern 3,793 #1,749
2009 modern 3,900 #1,745
2010 modern 4,017 #1,725
2011 modern 3,950 #1,730
2012 modern 3,861 #1,740
2013 modern 3,906 #1,751
2014 modern 3,918 #1,755
2015 modern 3,857 #1,761
2016 modern 3,848 #1,760

Geography

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Where Crooks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Redcar and Cleveland, Wakefield, Scarborough and Thurrock. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 026 County Durham
2 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Wakefield 040 Wakefield
4 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
5 Thurrock 009 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crooks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crooks

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Crooks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Crooks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Crooks 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

Crooks is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crooks falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crooks 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Crooks

The surname Crooks has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'croc', which means 'a crooked person' or someone who lived near a bend or crook in a road or river.

One of the earliest known records of the name Crooks appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Croc'. This suggests that the name was already established in England before the Norman Conquest.

The name Crooks was initially more prevalent in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed that the name may have been associated with place names such as Crookhill, Crookham, or Crooklands, which all contain the Old English word 'croc'.

One notable bearer of the Crooks surname was John Crooks (c. 1505-1559), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey in Lincolnshire. Another notable figure was Sir John Crooks (1630-1699), a British merchant and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the establishment of the Bank of England.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, several variations of the name appeared, such as Crookes, Crook, and Crookys. However, the spelling 'Crooks' became more standardized over time.

The Crooks surname also has a presence in Scotland, where it may have originated as a nickname or as a variant of the Scottish surname 'Crook'. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was William Crooks (1828-1897), a Scottish-born American minister and educator who co-founded the University of Denver.

Another prominent individual with the Crooks surname was Will D. Crooks (1852-1921), an English trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the Labour movement in the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Crooks has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to medieval England. It has been borne by notable figures across various fields, including religion, politics, and commerce, and continues to be a distinctive surname today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crooks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crooks 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. Yorkshire leads with 372 Crooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 372 1.67x
Lancashire 365 1.37x
Durham 226 3.37x
Middlesex 174 0.77x
Derbyshire 160 4.54x
Nottinghamshire 141 4.64x
Midlothian 107 3.55x
Lanarkshire 91 1.25x
Leicestershire 82 3.28x
Essex 70 1.57x
Suffolk 62 2.26x
Lincolnshire 49 1.36x
Ayrshire 42 2.49x
Renfrewshire 37 2.12x
Northumberland 34 1.01x
Surrey 31 0.28x
Cheshire 30 0.60x
Kent 26 0.34x
Staffordshire 25 0.33x
Angus 17 0.81x
Berwickshire 16 5.87x
Dunbartonshire 14 2.31x
Hampshire 13 0.28x
Norfolk 12 0.35x
Monmouthshire 11 0.68x
Devon 10 0.21x
Sussex 10 0.26x
East Lothian 9 3.02x
Warwickshire 9 0.16x
Cumberland 8 0.41x
Argyllshire 7 1.12x
Clackmannanshire 7 3.76x
Stirlingshire 7 0.84x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 1.53x
Roxburghshire 5 1.23x
Wiltshire 5 0.25x
Flintshire 3 0.50x
Northamptonshire 3 0.14x
Wigtownshire 3 1.00x
Perthshire 2 0.20x
Selkirkshire 2 0.98x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 0.37x
Rutland 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 50 Crooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.12x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 50 4.12x
Poplar London 41 9.64x
Kilmarnock 39 19.44x
Grays Thurrock 35 84.68x
Hinderwell 34 178.48x
Parr 34 35.56x
Ecclesall Bierlow 32 7.05x
Barony 31 1.68x
Horsley 30 141.38x
Liverpool 30 1.85x
Warrington 29 9.15x
Ashton Under Lyne 26 4.45x
Sheffield 26 3.66x
Stockton On Tees 23 7.12x
Glasgow 22 1.70x
Heworth 22 16.66x
Mansfield Woodhouse 22 108.91x
Govan 21 1.17x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 7.24x
Shildon 20 37.14x
Stoke Upon Trent 20 2.48x
Bradfield 19 22.08x
Conisbrough 19 90.74x
Gateshead 19 3.79x
Basford 18 12.86x
Dukinfield 18 7.83x
Hindley 18 15.80x
Bethnal Green London 17 1.74x
Manchester 17 1.41x
North Leith 17 12.17x
Pemberton 17 15.95x
Wigan 16 4.28x
Winlaton 16 24.89x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 15 7.21x
Anstey 14 141.84x
Bishop Auckland 14 15.57x
Harton 14 52.87x
Newton 14 6.80x
Worksop 14 15.55x
Dundee 13 1.67x
Ilkeston 13 13.15x
Leeds 13 1.03x
Stoke By Nayland 13 146.56x
Belper 12 17.55x
Great Ayton 12 87.78x
Saddleworth 12 6.97x
Bole 11 687.50x
Byker 11 6.64x
Colne 11 13.82x
Egton 11 112.47x
Gorton 11 4.38x
Hackney London 11 0.87x
Lazenby 11 3235.29x
Mansfield 11 10.47x
Mountsorrel North End 11 228.69x
Staveley 11 17.57x
Wombwell 11 16.90x
Adlington 10 39.95x
Hetton Le Hole 10 11.78x
Kensington London 10 0.80x
Loughborough 10 8.82x
Markfield 10 80.78x
Windle 10 6.65x
Almondbury 9 8.34x
Aston 9 0.58x
Blackburn 9 1.27x
Bury 9 2.95x
Camberwell 9 0.63x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 6.71x
Edmonton 9 4.96x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 6.26x
Islington London 9 0.41x
Lambeth 9 0.46x
Nottingham St Nicholas 9 21.77x
Paisley High Church 9 6.48x
Ryhope 9 19.35x
St Marylebone London 9 0.75x
Tissington 9 315.79x
West Greenock 9 2.87x
Yarm 9 78.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 156
Sarah 82
Elizabeth 79
Ann 50
Jane 40
Margaret 40
Hannah 38
Eliza 33
Alice 31
Ellen 29
Annie 28
Emma 23
Harriet 14
Martha 13
Emily 12
Isabella 12
Agnes 11
Catherine 11
Fanny 11
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Edith 9
Frances 9
Maria 9
Clara 7
Kate 7
Lydia 7
Matilda 7
Rebecca 7
Florence 6
Harriett 6
Phoebe 6
Caroline 5
Elizth. 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Minnie 5
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Betsy 4
Esther 4
Julia 4
Ruth 4
Sophia 4
Susan 4
Dinah 3
Francis 3
Jessie 3
Margret 3
Christina 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 135
William 119
James 73
George 71
Thomas 67
Joseph 49
Charles 31
Henry 31
Robert 31
Alfred 21
Arthur 18
Samuel 18
Edward 17
Walter 15
Ralph 8
Wm. 8
Benjamin 7
David 7
Herbert 7
Frank 6
Harry 6
Richard 6
Thos. 6
Abraham 5
Albert 5
Francis 5
Fred 5
Frederick 5
Isaac 5
Abram 4
Alexander 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Jacob 4
Tom 4
Andrew 3
Frederic 3
Hugh 3
Peter 3
Sam 3
Anthony 2
Daniel 2
Jonathan 2
Mary 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Oscar 2
Percy 2
Richards 2
Rufus 2

FAQ

Crooks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crooks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,308 people were recorded with the Crooks surname. That placed it at #1,934 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crooks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016. That gives Crooks a modern rank of #1,760.

What does the Crooks surname mean?

A surname referring to someone with a crooked back, a cripple, or a dishonest or unscrupulous person.

What does the Crooks map show?

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