NameCensus.

UK surname

Crowl

Derived from a nickname for a cantankerous, irritable, or boisterous person, from Middle English "crowle" meaning "to grumble."

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Crowl surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Phillack and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, West Devon and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crowl is 139 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.7%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1851

139 bearers

Map years

2

1851 to 1911

Key insights

  • Crowl had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crowl surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crowl surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crowl 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 139 #13,659
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 69 #30,712
1998 modern 71 #30,869
1999 modern 77 #30,427
2000 modern 77 #30,486
2001 modern 78 #30,168
2002 modern 88 #29,534
2003 modern 80 #30,425
2004 modern 79 #30,799
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Crowls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Phillack, St Pancras, St Austell and St Blazey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrogate, West Devon, Harborough and Havering. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Phillack Cornwall
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Austell Cornwall
5 St Blazey Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrogate 013 Harrogate
2 Harrogate 016 Harrogate
3 West Devon 005 West Devon
4 Harborough 010 Harborough
5 Havering 020 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crowl

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crowl

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Crowl 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

Crowl is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crowl falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crowl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Crowl

The surname "CROWL" has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "crāwe," which means "crow." It is believed that the name was originally a nickname given to someone who had a resemblance to a crow or exhibited crow-like behavior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1198, where a person named Robert Croul is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Croul" and "Croule."

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire. It is possible that the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Crowle in Lincolnshire or Crole in Somerset.

Notable individuals with the surname "CROWL" include John Crowl, a member of the Parliament of England in 1388. Another notable figure was William Crowl, who was a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname evolved into various spellings, such as "Crowell," "Crowle," and "Crowel." One notable bearer of the name during this period was Thomas Crowle, who was a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in London in 1583.

The 17th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname "CROWL." Sir Sackville Crowl was a lawyer and Member of Parliament for East Grinstead in 1628. Another notable figure was Robert Crowle, a clergyman and author who published works on theology in the mid-17th century.

As the surname spread across England and beyond, different variations emerged, such as "Crawl," "Croul," and "Croull." In the 18th century, John Crawl was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, while in the 19th century, Thomas Croull was a Scottish poet and writer who published works on Scottish history and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crowl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crowl 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 44 Crowls recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.31x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 44 43.31x
Devon 14 7.49x
Middlesex 12 1.34x
Hampshire 10 5.44x
Durham 5 1.87x
Norfolk 2 1.45x
Surrey 2 0.46x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 9.35x
Sussex 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Stephen In Brannel in Cornwall leads with 11 Crowls recorded in 1881 and an index of 1182.80x.

Place Total Index
St Stephen In Brannel 11 1182.80x
Luxulyan 9 2647.06x
Portsea 9 24.97x
St Blazey 9 1011.24x
Hornsey 7 61.67x
Plymouth Charles The 6 72.90x
Collierley 5 420.17x
Perranarworthal 5 1470.59x
Hackney London 3 5.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 20.85x
Bixley 2 4000.00x
Newlyn 2 465.12x
Plymstock 2 204.08x
St Austell 2 57.64x
Tywardreath 2 307.69x
Buckfastleigh 1 116.28x
East Stonehouse 1 27.17x
Kenwyn 1 37.59x
Lambeth 1 1.28x
Lancaster 1 15.77x
Portsmouth 1 23.58x
Putney 1 24.45x
Royal Navy 1 10.94x
St Clement 1 94.34x
St Columb Minor 1 117.65x
St Ive 1 153.85x
St Marylebone London 1 2.09x
St Pancras London 1 1.38x
Sullington 1 1666.67x
Tormoham 1 12.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 4
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Bessie 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anselina 1
Bessy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellenor 1
Ellinor 1
Grace 1
Jessie 1
Kitty 1
Lucinda 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Martha 1
Nanny 1
Nellie 1
Norma 1
Rhoda 1
S. 1
Sarah 1
Wilmot 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Frank 3
Robert 3
George 2
Henry 2
Samual 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Fredrick 1
James 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Longford 1
Malachi 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Theodore 1
Wm.Rd. 1

FAQ

Crowl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crowl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Crowl surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crowl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Crowl a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Crowl surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a cantankerous, irritable, or boisterous person, from Middle English "crowle" meaning "to grumble."

What does the Crowl map show?

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