NameCensus.

UK surname

Crowley

Derived from the Irish surname O'Cruadhlaoich, meaning "descendant of the hard hero" or "descendant of the hardy warrior."

In the 1881 census there were 1,921 people recorded with the Crowley surname, ranking it #2,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,722, ranked #1,442, up from #2,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Giles-in-the-Fields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warwick, Torfaen and Ipswich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crowley is 4,849 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 145.8%.

1881 census count

1,921

Ranked #2,270

Modern count

4,722

2016, ranked #1,442

Peak year

1999

4,849 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crowley had 1,921 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,722 in 2016, ranked #1,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,721 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Crowley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crowley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crowley 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 1,309 #2,190
1861 historical 1,634 #1,750
1881 historical 1,921 #2,270
1891 historical 2,058 #2,248
1901 historical 2,363 #2,295
1911 historical 2,721 #1,903
1997 modern 4,697 #1,392
1998 modern 4,811 #1,409
1999 modern 4,849 #1,408
2000 modern 4,793 #1,417
2001 modern 4,662 #1,425
2002 modern 4,741 #1,438
2003 modern 4,639 #1,434
2004 modern 4,636 #1,430
2005 modern 4,571 #1,430
2006 modern 4,580 #1,431
2007 modern 4,596 #1,439
2008 modern 4,613 #1,440
2009 modern 4,743 #1,439
2010 modern 4,832 #1,443
2011 modern 4,781 #1,442
2012 modern 4,690 #1,432
2013 modern 4,820 #1,421
2014 modern 4,825 #1,429
2015 modern 4,788 #1,425
2016 modern 4,722 #1,442

Geography

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Where Crowleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Giles-in-the-Fields and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warwick, Torfaen, Ipswich and Swansea. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warwick 007 Warwick
2 Torfaen 009 Torfaen
3 Ipswich 016 Ipswich
4 Warwick 015 Warwick
5 Swansea 021 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crowley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crowley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crowley, 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 Crowley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Crowley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crowley 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

Crowley 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

Crowley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crowley

The surname Crowley is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "crou" meaning "crow" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow". It is believed to have originated in England during the 11th century, denoting someone who lived near a crow-infested meadow or woodland clearing.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records a Leofric Crauley holding lands in Leicestershire. The name appears to have been initially concentrated in the West Midlands region of England, with various spellings such as Crouley, Crowleigh, and Craueley recorded in medieval documents.

Notable individuals bearing the Crowley surname include Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), the infamous English occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer; John Crowley (born 1942), an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels; Mart Crowley (1935-2020), an American playwright best known for his play "The Boys in the Band"; Robert Crowley (c. 1517-1588), an English Protestant churchman and polemical writer during the Reformation; and John Crowley (c. 1520-1589), an English Protestant printer and writer.

The surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Crowley in Lincolnshire, which was recorded as Croulai in the Domesday Book, and Crowley in Buckinghamshire, derived from the Old English words "crou" and "leah". These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions of England.

Over the centuries, the Crowley surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, writers, and notable figures in religious and political spheres, reflecting the diverse histories and backgrounds associated with this name of Anglo-Saxon origin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crowley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crowley 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 439 Crowleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 439 2.33x
Glamorgan 246 7.50x
Lancashire 195 0.87x
Warwickshire 169 3.56x
Surrey 130 1.42x
Yorkshire 117 0.63x
Monmouthshire 115 8.45x
Kent 74 1.15x
Staffordshire 74 1.16x
Gloucestershire 49 1.33x
Devon 39 0.99x
Sussex 36 1.13x
Hampshire 31 0.80x
Worcestershire 27 1.10x
Essex 21 0.56x
Somerset 19 0.63x
Durham 15 0.27x
Dorset 14 1.13x
Angus 11 0.63x
Brecknockshire 9 2.39x
Renfrewshire 9 0.62x
Hertfordshire 8 0.62x
Channel Islands 7 1.25x
Cheshire 7 0.17x
Herefordshire 7 0.91x
Northamptonshire 7 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.53x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.76x
Midlothian 6 0.24x
Cumberland 5 0.31x
Lanarkshire 5 0.08x
Derbyshire 3 0.10x
Leicestershire 3 0.14x
Lincolnshire 3 0.10x
Berkshire 2 0.14x
Cornwall 2 0.09x
Norfolk 2 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.33x
Royal Navy 2 0.89x
Wigtownshire 2 0.80x
Anglesey 1 0.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.37x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardiff St Mary in Glamorgan leads with 76 Crowleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.07x.

Place Total Index
Cardiff St Mary 76 42.07x
Birmingham 69 4.36x
Aston 56 4.28x
Liverpool 44 3.24x
Bedwellty 31 12.89x
St Woollos 31 20.40x
Bermondsey 30 5.35x
Croydon 30 5.89x
St George In East London 28 15.80x
St Pancras London 28 1.85x
Brighton 27 4.21x
Trevethin 27 21.00x
Bromley London 26 6.27x
Cardiff St John 26 24.27x
Ealing 24 14.26x
Polesworth 24 106.43x
St Andrew Holborn London 24 29.43x
St Gilesin Fields London 24 150.56x
Aberdare 23 10.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 22 7.28x
Toxteth Park 22 2.91x
West Bromwich 22 6.04x
Merthyr Tydfil 21 6.66x
Bradford 20 4.43x
Manchester 20 1.99x
Gelligaer 19 25.36x
Kensington London 19 1.81x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 5.17x
Roath 18 12.08x
Westminster St James 18 9.30x
Bethnal Green London 17 2.08x
St Giles In Fields London 17 18.40x
Leeds 16 1.52x
Llanwonno 16 13.58x
Shoreditch London 16 1.96x
Walsall Foreign 16 4.87x
Bury 13 5.09x
Deptford St Paul 13 2.62x
Fulham London 13 4.76x
Harborne 13 6.38x
Everton 12 1.68x
Islington London 12 0.66x
Whitechapel London 12 6.46x
Clerkenwell London 11 2.47x
Greenwich 11 3.67x
Plumstead 11 5.13x
Southwark St John 11 19.09x
St Luke London 11 3.64x
Alton 10 34.36x
Nether Hallam 10 3.96x
Pendleton In Salford 10 3.76x
Rotherhithe 10 4.30x
Sculcoates 10 3.38x
Southwark St Saviour 10 10.33x
Swansea Town 10 3.72x
Bedminster 9 3.16x
Chilfrome 9 1428.57x
Dundee 9 1.38x
Lambeth 9 0.55x
Llandaff 9 8.25x
St Botolph Aldgate London 9 23.20x
Stoke Damerel 9 3.28x
West Greenock 9 3.43x
Birkdale 8 14.15x
Hammersmith London 8 1.72x
Hornsey 8 3.36x
Llanover 8 17.20x
St George Bloomsbury 8 7.40x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.41x
Tipton 8 4.11x
West Ham 8 0.97x
Westminster St John 8 3.49x
Bristol St Augustine 7 11.74x
Hackney London 7 0.66x
Newport 7 10.78x
Poplar London 7 1.97x
Reigate Foreign 7 7.04x
St Anne Soho London 7 6.51x
St Marylebone London 7 0.70x
Welland 7 124.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 186
Ellen 78
Catherine 55
Elizabeth 48
Margaret 44
Sarah 32
Ann 31
Jane 23
Hannah 22
Julia 22
Kate 22
Eliza 19
Johanna 19
Alice 16
Annie 16
Emily 14
Anne 13
Bridget 13
Margt. 12
Caroline 11
Ada 8
Agnes 8
Maria 8
Edith 7
Emma 6
Frances 6
Louisa 6
Rose 6
Charlotte 5
Harriet 5
Honora 5
Norah 5
Fanny 4
Helen 4
Lucy 4
Lydia 4
Minnie 4
Catharine 3
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Hellen 3
Honorah 3
Mabel 3
Maggie 3
Martha 3
Maud 3
May 3
Susan 3
Clara 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 185
William 76
James 60
Daniel 53
Michael 47
Thomas 42
Patrick 36
Jeremiah 28
Charles 27
Timothy 26
Edward 25
George 25
Joseph 25
Cornelius 22
Dennis 18
Henry 17
Alfred 11
David 10
Denis 10
Thos. 8
Richard 7
Jno. 6
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Herbert 5
Matthew 5
Walter 5
Florence 4
Francis 4
Jerry 4
Mathew 4
Peter 4
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Arthur 3
Bartholomew 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Ambrose 2
Conelius 2
Dan 2
Danl. 2
Fredk. 2
Job 2
Lawrence 2
Phillip 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Crowley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crowley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,921 people were recorded with the Crowley surname. That placed it at #2,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crowley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,722 in 2016. That gives Crowley a modern rank of #1,442.

What does the Crowley surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname O'Cruadhlaoich, meaning "descendant of the hard hero" or "descendant of the hardy warrior."

What does the Crowley map show?

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