NameCensus.

UK surname

Crothers

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ruaidhrí," meaning "son of Ruaidhrí" (a personal name meaning "red king" or "great king").

In the 1881 census there were 168 people recorded with the Crothers surname, ranking it #14,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 482, ranked #10,255, up from #14,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Minster and Illogan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Halton and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crothers is 516 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 186.9%.

1881 census count

168

Ranked #14,380

Modern count

482

2016, ranked #10,255

Peak year

2010

516 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crothers had 168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016, ranked #10,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 222 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crothers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crothers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crothers 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 168 #14,380
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 419 #10,625
1998 modern 430 #10,772
1999 modern 451 #10,435
2000 modern 433 #10,750
2001 modern 428 #10,653
2002 modern 450 #10,452
2003 modern 428 #10,709
2004 modern 439 #10,516
2005 modern 453 #10,155
2006 modern 459 #10,088
2007 modern 471 #9,992
2008 modern 498 #9,664
2009 modern 492 #9,979
2010 modern 516 #9,808
2011 modern 513 #9,765
2012 modern 476 #10,213
2013 modern 476 #10,385
2014 modern 496 #10,124
2015 modern 482 #10,281
2016 modern 482 #10,255

Geography

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Where Crothers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Minster, Illogan, Halifax and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Halton, Cardiff, Newton Stewart and Rochdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Minster Kent
3 Illogan Cornwall
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 004 East Devon
2 Halton 013 Halton
3 Cardiff 027 Cardiff
4 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway
5 Rochdale 016 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crothers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crothers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crothers, 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 Crothers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Crothers 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crothers 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

Crothers is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crothers falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crothers

The surname Crothers has its origins in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "croft," which referred to a small farm or land holding. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived on or worked a croft.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Crofter, Croftare, and Croftyr appearing in medieval records and charters. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

In the 14th century, the name Crothers can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish noblemen and landowners to Edward I of England in 1296. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Scottish Borders region by this time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Crothers surname was John Crothers, a Scottish clergyman and theologian who lived in the late 16th century. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilrenny in Fife and was known for his writings on religious matters.

Another prominent individual with this surname was William Crothers (1650-1720), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the early settlement of Ulster, Ireland. He acquired substantial land holdings in County Antrim and was instrumental in the development of the town of Ballymoney.

In the 18th century, Samuel Crothers (1776-1854) was a Scottish-born farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the local community.

Moving into the 19th century, Rachel Crothers (1878-1958) was an American playwright and theatre director. She wrote several successful plays, including "A Little Journey" and "He and She," and was known for her exploration of gender roles and social issues.

Another notable figure from this period was Robert Crothers (1836-1912), a Canadian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and railway construction.

Throughout its history, the Crothers surname has been associated with various place names and localities in Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the migration patterns of those bearing the name. These include Crothersfield, Crothersholm, and Crothershill, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crothers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crothers 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. Cornwall leads with 51 Crothers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.49x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 51 27.49x
Lancashire 33 1.70x
Yorkshire 19 1.17x
Kent 12 2.15x
Lanarkshire 12 2.26x
Northumberland 12 4.92x
Angus 10 6.59x
Middlesex 6 0.37x
Cumberland 5 3.54x
Ayrshire 3 2.45x
Oxfordshire 2 1.98x
Devon 1 0.29x
Hampshire 1 0.30x
Midlothian 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Illogan in Cornwall leads with 42 Crothers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 855.40x.

Place Total Index
Illogan 42 855.40x
Wheelton 16 1839.08x
Barony 10 7.46x
Minster In Sheppey 10 107.99x
Kenwyn 8 164.95x
Kirkdale 8 24.46x
Batley 7 45.37x
Dinnington 7 5384.62x
Liff Benvie 7 30.38x
Skircoat 7 109.38x
Royton 6 100.84x
Elswick 5 25.69x
Embleton 5 2500.00x
St Pancras London 4 3.03x
Dundee 3 5.29x
Everton 3 4.84x
Soyland 3 153.85x
Bromley 2 23.47x
Glasgow 2 2.13x
Maybole 2 53.62x
Oxford St Ebbe 2 67.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.13x
Helston 1 51.81x
Kensington London 1 1.10x
Muirkirk 1 34.72x
Portsea 1 1.52x
St Budeaux 1 94.34x
St Marylebone London 1 1.14x
Wath On Dearne 1 30.86x
York St Mary Castlegate 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Alice 3
Marey 3
Ethel 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Dora 1
Elisabeth 1
Emma 1
Grace 1
Honor 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Liley 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Sabina 1
Sara 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
James 10
John 9
George 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Robert 3
Charles 2
Hugh 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
Will. 2
Agnus 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edley 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Hamilton 1
Henry 1
J. 1
Montague 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Ralph 1
Richd.G. 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Hy. 1
Thos.J. 1
Walter 1
Will.George 1

FAQ

Crothers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crothers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 168 people were recorded with the Crothers surname. That placed it at #14,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crothers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016. That gives Crothers a modern rank of #10,255.

What does the Crothers surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ruaidhrí," meaning "son of Ruaidhrí" (a personal name meaning "red king" or "great king").

What does the Crothers map show?

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