NameCensus.

UK surname

Crouch

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with a stooped or hunched posture.

In the 1881 census there were 4,011 people recorded with the Crouch surname, ranking it #1,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,688, ranked #1,179, down from #1,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hastings, Milton Keynes and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crouch is 6,109 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.8%.

1881 census count

4,011

Ranked #1,127

Modern count

5,688

2016, ranked #1,179

Peak year

2000

6,109 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crouch had 4,011 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,688 in 2016, ranked #1,179.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,726 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crouch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crouch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crouch 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 2,497 #1,190
1861 historical 2,168 #1,349
1881 historical 4,011 #1,127
1891 historical 3,942 #1,216
1901 historical 5,276 #1,067
1911 historical 5,726 #917
1997 modern 5,859 #1,116
1998 modern 6,061 #1,124
1999 modern 6,091 #1,124
2000 modern 6,109 #1,120
2001 modern 5,978 #1,112
2002 modern 6,074 #1,121
2003 modern 5,903 #1,125
2004 modern 5,837 #1,136
2005 modern 5,697 #1,144
2006 modern 5,630 #1,151
2007 modern 5,627 #1,159
2008 modern 5,621 #1,165
2009 modern 5,759 #1,164
2010 modern 5,859 #1,170
2011 modern 5,785 #1,173
2012 modern 5,663 #1,173
2013 modern 5,810 #1,163
2014 modern 5,857 #1,163
2015 modern 5,775 #1,167
2016 modern 5,688 #1,179

Geography

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Where Crouchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, St Pancras and Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hastings, Milton Keynes, Rother 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 London parishes London 1
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hastings 002 Hastings
2 Milton Keynes 001 Milton Keynes
3 Rother 006 Rother
4 Hastings 001 Hastings
5 New Forest 019 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crouch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crouch

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

Crouch is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crouch falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crouch

The surname Crouch is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "croc," meaning a hook or bend, and the word "hoc," meaning a hook or angle. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century, as a descriptive surname for an individual who was either physically crooked or lived near a crooked or winding path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Crouch can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Croch" in the county of Somerset. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Crouche," "Crouche," and "Croch," in records from counties like Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire. These variations likely stemmed from different regional pronunciations and spellings.

During the 14th century, the name began to take on its modern spelling of "Crouch." One notable figure from this period was John Crouch, a landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire, who was born around 1320.

In the 16th century, the name Crouch was associated with several prominent individuals, including Sir John Crouch (c. 1520 - 1598), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London, and Sir Robert Crouch (c. 1555 - 1628), a soldier and naval commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

The 17th century saw the birth of Sir John Crouch (1635 - 1711), a politician and lawyer who served as a judge and Member of Parliament for Yarmouth. Another notable figure from this period was William Crouch (1628 - 1725), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, the name Crouch was associated with William Crouch (1708 - 1782), a renowned English actor and theatre manager who owned and operated the Haymarket Theatre in London.

The 19th century brought forth individuals like Alfred Walter Crouch (1857 - 1936), a British journalist and author who wrote extensively about cricket and other sports, and Sir Walter Crouch (1880 - 1964), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Sierra Leone from 1935 to 1941.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crouch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crouch 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 845 Crouchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 845 2.16x
Kent 643 4.81x
Sussex 532 8.06x
Surrey 384 2.01x
Hampshire 210 2.62x
Hertfordshire 142 5.26x
Bedfordshire 138 6.80x
Essex 124 1.60x
Wiltshire 106 3.06x
Yorkshire 101 0.26x
Gloucestershire 75 0.98x
Somerset 74 1.17x
Lancashire 72 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 67 2.70x
Buckinghamshire 51 2.15x
Northamptonshire 51 1.38x
Devon 43 0.53x
Suffolk 43 0.90x
Warwickshire 31 0.31x
Leicestershire 30 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.57x
Huntingdonshire 27 3.47x
Worcestershire 23 0.45x
Staffordshire 22 0.17x
Lanarkshire 20 0.16x
Durham 19 0.16x
Midlothian 18 0.34x
Berkshire 14 0.48x
Dorset 13 0.51x
Oxfordshire 9 0.37x
Cornwall 8 0.18x
Royal Navy 8 1.71x
Channel Islands 7 0.60x
Glamorgan 7 0.10x
Herefordshire 5 0.31x
Derbyshire 4 0.07x
Lincolnshire 3 0.05x
Ross-shire 3 0.28x
Cheshire 2 0.02x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.03x
Renfrewshire 2 0.07x
Fife 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.14x
Radnorshire 1 0.32x
Rutland 1 0.35x
Shropshire 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. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 135 Crouchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.56x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 135 3.56x
Lambeth 78 2.28x
Hammersmith London 64 6.63x
West Ham 60 3.52x
Shoreditch London 57 3.36x
St Pancras London 54 1.71x
Hackney London 53 2.41x
Chatham 50 13.60x
Bethnal Green London 47 2.76x
Newington 42 2.90x
Poplar London 42 5.68x
Brightling 40 441.99x
Portsea 40 2.54x
Tonbridge 39 8.09x
Battersea 38 2.64x
Croydon 38 3.59x
Ewhurst 38 259.03x
St Marylebone London 38 1.82x
Battle 36 80.79x
Manea 33 210.86x
Hailsham 32 80.06x
Camberwell 31 1.24x
Headcorn 29 144.86x
Wrotham 29 65.51x
Dallington 28 393.26x
Chislehurst 26 36.28x
Hornsey 26 5.25x
Hastings St Mary In The 25 17.75x
Swanscombe 25 41.64x
Boldre 24 83.45x
Chelsea London 24 2.03x
Harrold 24 174.80x
Hastings St Leonards 24 24.73x
Brighton 23 1.73x
Rowde 23 143.93x
Clapham 21 4.29x
Clerkenwell London 21 2.27x
Tottenham 21 3.37x
Beaulieu 20 160.26x
Elham 20 125.23x
Ninfield 20 247.52x
Sandon 19 185.73x
St Luke London 19 3.02x
Biggleswade 18 27.10x
Chiddingstone 18 103.03x
Hastings St Mary 18 10.95x
Southampton St Mary 18 3.57x
Dartford 17 12.44x
Deptford St Paul 17 1.65x
Hastings St Clement 17 27.36x
Kensington London 17 0.78x
St George In East London 17 4.61x
Birmingham 16 0.49x
Carlton 16 251.97x
Northampton Priory St 16 7.24x
Northampton St Giles 16 11.40x
Ramsey 16 25.70x
Ramsgate 16 7.34x
St Albans 16 28.92x
Aylesbury 15 14.30x
Broadwater 15 9.90x
Maidstone 15 3.77x
Ore 15 30.52x
Radford 15 5.59x
St Peters 15 24.26x
Chard 14 18.33x
Guestling 14 130.35x
Salehurst 14 48.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 1.78x
Ashford 13 9.99x
Blatchinworth 13 12.29x
Boscombe 13 807.45x
Keighley 13 3.14x
Woolwich 13 2.63x
Yeovil 13 10.15x
Bromley London 12 1.39x
Edmonton 12 3.80x
Frant 12 25.65x
St Andrewthe Less 12 4.23x
Wimbledon 12 5.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 226
Elizabeth 168
Sarah 143
Emma 85
Emily 75
Ellen 69
Annie 67
Eliza 63
Ann 60
Jane 57
Alice 55
Caroline 37
Louisa 35
Martha 33
Edith 30
Florence 30
Charlotte 29
Hannah 29
Harriet 27
Ada 23
Kate 23
Frances 21
Rose 21
Fanny 19
Maria 19
Catherine 17
Harriett 17
Rebecca 17
Susan 17
Amelia 16
Clara 16
Sophia 16
Agnes 15
Julia 15
Lucy 15
Anne 13
Matilda 12
Lydia 11
Margaret 11
Elizth. 10
Esther 10
Rosa 9
Amy 8
Georgina 8
Maud 8
Minnie 8
Bessie 7
Grace 7
Isabella 7
Selina 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 237
George 163
James 154
John 152
Charles 116
Thomas 105
Henry 95
Alfred 67
Frederick 50
Edward 47
Joseph 46
Arthur 45
Walter 39
Robert 32
Albert 31
Stephen 29
Samuel 28
Frank 20
Richard 19
Ernest 18
Edwin 17
Herbert 17
Harry 16
Fred 10
Wm. 9
Jesse 8
Tom 8
Leonard 7
Percy 7
Thos. 7
Chas. 6
Fredk. 6
Sidney 6
Amos 5
Benjamin 5
Edmund 5
Fredrick 5
Geo. 5
Horace 5
Oliver 5
Sydney 5
Daniel 4
David 4
Francis 4
Frederic 4
Moses 4
Willm. 4
Jno. 3
Mark 3
Spencer 3

FAQ

Crouch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crouch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,011 people were recorded with the Crouch surname. That placed it at #1,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crouch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,688 in 2016. That gives Crouch a modern rank of #1,179.

What does the Crouch surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with a stooped or hunched posture.

What does the Crouch map show?

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