NameCensus.

UK surname

Crown

A surname referring to a person who lived near a rounded hill, or one who wore a crown.

In the 1881 census there were 368 people recorded with the Crown surname, ranking it #8,454 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 560, ranked #9,165, down from #8,454 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gressenhall, Longham and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Suffolk Coastal and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crown is 743 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.2%.

1881 census count

368

Ranked #8,454

Modern count

560

2016, ranked #9,165

Peak year

1861

743 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crown had 368 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,454 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 560 in 2016, ranked #9,165.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 743 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crown surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crown surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crown 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 284 #7,977
1861 historical 743 #3,670
1881 historical 368 #8,454
1891 historical 612 #6,284
1901 historical 439 #8,863
1911 historical 495 #7,877
1997 modern 520 #9,043
1998 modern 507 #9,486
1999 modern 515 #9,451
2000 modern 535 #9,144
2001 modern 511 #9,304
2002 modern 544 #9,049
2003 modern 553 #8,802
2004 modern 554 #8,812
2005 modern 537 #8,951
2006 modern 537 #8,983
2007 modern 539 #9,025
2008 modern 548 #8,993
2009 modern 550 #9,169
2010 modern 560 #9,225
2011 modern 557 #9,170
2012 modern 544 #9,245
2013 modern 557 #9,236
2014 modern 566 #9,174
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 560 #9,165

Geography

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Where Crowns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gressenhall, Longham, Edinburgh, Lambeth and Hunstanton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Suffolk Coastal and Peterborough. 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 3
2 Gressenhall, Longham Norfolk
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Hunstanton Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Suffolk Coastal 006 Suffolk Coastal
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 001 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Peterborough 007 Peterborough
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crown

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crown

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crown 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

Crown 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

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

Meaning and origin of Crown

The surname Crown is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "crun" or "crune," meaning a crown or garland. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who made or sold crowns or garlands, or perhaps a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hat or headgear resembling a crown.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Robert Crune." The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, listed as "Thomas del Croun."

During the Middle Ages, the Crown surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. It is possible that some variations of the name, such as Croun, Crouner, or Crowner, may have referred to the position of a coroner, derived from the Old French term "corouner" or "crouner."

One notable bearer of the Crown surname was Sir John Crown, a merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1619. He was born in 1575 and played a significant role in the development of the East India Company.

Another individual of historical significance was John Crown, a Puritan minister born in 1642 in Norwich, England. He emigrated to New England in the late 17th century and became a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the literary world, John Crowne (1640-1712) was an English playwright and author who wrote several successful plays during the Restoration period, including "The Conquest of Granada" and "Calisto, or The Chaste Nymph."

The Crown surname also appears in Scottish records, with variations such as Croun or Croune. One notable bearer was Sir Alexander Croun, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Another significant figure was Edward Crowne (1572-1617), an English theologian and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1610 until his death.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Crown has a rich history that spans multiple centuries and regions, reflecting its origins as an occupational or descriptive name related to the symbolic crown or garland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crown families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crown 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. Norfolk leads with 105 Crowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.02x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 105 19.02x
Middlesex 59 1.64x
Yorkshire 39 1.10x
Durham 32 3.00x
Midlothian 14 2.91x
Kent 13 1.06x
Lancashire 13 0.31x
Suffolk 13 2.97x
Surrey 13 0.74x
Hampshire 11 1.50x
Northumberland 11 2.06x
Lanarkshire 8 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.64x
Lincolnshire 6 1.05x
Berkshire 5 1.86x
Essex 5 0.71x
Ayrshire 3 1.12x
Leicestershire 3 0.75x
Sussex 2 0.33x
Derbyshire 1 0.18x
Devon 1 0.13x
Dorset 1 0.42x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.22x
Rutland 1 3.79x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hunstanton in Norfolk leads with 42 Crowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2258.06x.

Place Total Index
Hunstanton 42 2258.06x
Southwick 24 237.39x
Beetley 16 3809.52x
Gressenhall 13 1274.51x
Leeds 9 4.48x
Bow London 8 17.51x
Snettisham 8 522.88x
St George In East London 8 23.70x
Cowpen 7 56.91x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 3.62x
Skelton In Great 7 1891.89x
Cheetham 6 18.89x
Folkestone 6 25.25x
Heacham 6 487.80x
Islington London 6 1.72x
Lambeth 6 1.92x
St George Hanover Square 6 9.49x
Tottenham 6 10.50x
Barrow 5 446.43x
Bermondsey 5 4.68x
Bishopwearmouth 5 5.45x
Blantyre 5 41.36x
Fulham London 5 9.60x
Liverpool 5 1.93x
Morley 5 27.04x
Portsea 5 3.47x
Reading St Mary 5 23.17x
Soothill 5 38.91x
South Lynn 5 80.26x
West Ham 5 3.20x
Enfield 4 16.99x
Holy Trinity 4 4.68x
Louth 4 30.42x
Plumstead 4 9.80x
Ringstead 4 714.29x
Sculcoates 4 7.09x
Shoreditch London 4 2.57x
Southampton St Mary 4 8.64x
St Andrewthe Less 4 15.40x
East Dereham 3 43.04x
Kilwinning 3 34.56x
Wakefield 3 10.99x
Alpheton 2 645.16x
Bothwell 2 6.35x
Chatteris 2 34.48x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.36x
Edinburgh Old Church 2 51.81x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 20.04x
Gorleston 2 18.00x
Great Yarmouth 2 4.37x
Hammersmith London 2 2.26x
Hundon 2 183.49x
Kedington 2 172.41x
Newham In Belford 2 666.67x
North Leith 2 8.99x
St Giles In Fields London 2 11.36x
St Nicholas Lincoln 2 36.43x
Sunderland 2 10.60x
Westminster St John 2 4.57x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 3.12x
Bellister 1 588.24x
Belper 1 9.17x
Brighton 1 0.82x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.06x
Devonport 1 11.64x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 8.17x
Gaddesby 1 333.33x
Herne 1 18.45x
Holybourne 1 136.99x
Honley 1 16.05x
Machynlleth 1 33.67x
New Malton 1 23.53x
Newton 1 3.05x
Portland 1 7.89x
Rearsby 1 169.49x
Spitalfields London 1 3.70x
St Marylebone London 1 0.52x
St Pancras London 1 0.35x
Stranton 1 2.78x
Wiggenhall St Mary 1 116.28x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
William 20
George 9
Thomas 9
James 8
Charles 7
Henry 7
Robert 7
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
David 3
Martin 3
Richard 3
Clement 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Robt. 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Abram 1
Albert 1
Alf.Benm. 1
Art. 1
Barnett 1
Cambridge 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.J. 1
Harrie 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hyman 1
Jacob 1
Jeremia 1
Jesse 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Marks 1
Marquis 1
Matthew 1
Partrick 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Theodore 1
Thos.Hy. 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Timothy 1
Wallace 1
Waly 1

FAQ

Crown surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crown surname in 1881?

In 1881, 368 people were recorded with the Crown surname. That placed it at #8,454 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crown surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 560 in 2016. That gives Crown a modern rank of #9,165.

What does the Crown surname mean?

A surname referring to a person who lived near a rounded hill, or one who wore a crown.

What does the Crown map show?

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