NameCensus.

UK surname

Crough

A variation of the English surname Crouch, likely referring to a person with a crooked or bent physical stature.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Crough surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18, ranked #36,832, down from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Grappenhall (Latchford) , Runcorn (Thelwall) and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Rother and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crough is 131 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 125.0%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

18

2016, ranked #36,832

Peak year

1997

131 bearers

Map years

2

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Crough had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18 in 2016, ranked #36,832.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Crough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crough surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crough 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 28 #30,951
1911 historical 20 #31,288
1997 modern 131 #22,927
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 84 #29,700
2000 modern 50 #33,087
2001 modern 44 #33,490
2002 modern 35 #34,554
2003 modern 27 #35,279
2004 modern 32 #35,019
2005 modern 31 #35,260
2006 modern 29 #35,605
2007 modern 32 #35,530
2008 modern 28 #35,875
2009 modern 27 #36,045
2010 modern 29 #36,024
2011 modern 24 #36,306
2012 modern 21 #36,490
2013 modern 20 #36,614
2014 modern 17 #36,888
2015 modern 17 #36,887
2016 modern 18 #36,832

Geography

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Where Croughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Grappenhall (Latchford) , Runcorn (Thelwall), Manchester, Humbie and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Rother, Havant, Wyre and Enfield. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Grappenhall (Latchford) , Runcorn (Thelwall) Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Humbie Haddington
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 014 Cheshire East
2 Rother 007 Rother
3 Havant 008 Havant
4 Wyre 004 Wyre
5 Enfield 027 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crough

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Crough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Crough household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Crough is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Crough 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

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

Meaning and origin of Crough

The surname Crough is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late medieval period or earlier. It is derived from the Old English word "crog," which means "a nook or corner." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a secluded or remote location, such as a small dwelling tucked away in a corner of a village or town.

One of the earliest known references to the name Crough can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from the year 1332, where a person named William del Croghe is recorded. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English word "crog" and its association with a particular location or dwelling.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1487, which mention a Thomas Crough. This suggests that the surname had spread to other regions of England by this time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Crough surname can be found in various parish records and official documents across England. One notable individual from this period was John Crough, a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who was born in 1587 and died in 1655.

Another historically significant figure bearing the Crough surname was William Crough, a prominent clergyman and author who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in 1675 and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, where he published several theological works before his death in 1736.

In the 18th century, the Crough surname continued to be present in various parts of England. One individual of note was Thomas Crough, a successful businessman and landowner from Yorkshire, who was born in 1712 and died in 1789.

As the centuries passed, the Crough surname spread further across the United Kingdom and, in some cases, to other parts of the world through migration and emigration. Some examples of notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Robert Crough (1845-1921), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Leek in Staffordshire. 2. Elizabeth Crough (1861-1934), an American author and poet from New York. 3. James Crough (1875-1947), a Scottish-born Australian engineer and inventor known for his contributions to the development of the modern refrigerator. 4. Henry Crough (1892-1968), a British army officer who served in World War I and later became a respected military historian. 5. Margaret Crough (1920-2005), an American artist and sculptor known for her abstract expressionist works, who lived and worked in New York City.

While the surname Crough may not be among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crough 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. Surrey leads with 3 Croughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.89x.

County Total Index
Surrey 3 7.89x
Cumberland 2 29.76x
Lancashire 1 1.08x
Middlesex 1 1.28x
Somerset 1 7.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 2 Croughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.44x.

Place Total Index
Newington 2 69.44x
Rickergate 2 1428.57x
Broughton In Salford 1 117.65x
Feltham 1 1250.00x
Penge 1 200.00x
Twerton 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Julia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Robert 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 Crough households.

FAQ

Crough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Crough surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18 in 2016. That gives Crough a modern rank of #36,832.

What does the Crough surname mean?

A variation of the English surname Crouch, likely referring to a person with a crooked or bent physical stature.

What does the Crough map show?

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