NameCensus.

UK surname

Cruise

An occupational surname referring to someone who sails regularly, or who makes a living sailing the seas.

In the 1881 census there were 291 people recorded with the Cruise surname, ranking it #9,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 785, ranked #7,030, up from #9,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Derby and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cruise is 800 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 169.8%.

1881 census count

291

Ranked #9,931

Modern count

785

2016, ranked #7,030

Peak year

2010

800 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cruise had 291 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 785 in 2016, ranked #7,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 489 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cruise surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cruise surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cruise 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 291 #9,931
1891 historical 352 #9,781
1901 historical 458 #8,593
1911 historical 489 #7,959
1997 modern 669 #7,504
1998 modern 694 #7,523
1999 modern 682 #7,669
2000 modern 681 #7,654
2001 modern 666 #7,652
2002 modern 716 #7,377
2003 modern 695 #7,421
2004 modern 692 #7,479
2005 modern 716 #7,196
2006 modern 713 #7,254
2007 modern 741 #7,122
2008 modern 738 #7,192
2009 modern 764 #7,147
2010 modern 800 #7,029
2011 modern 797 #6,974
2012 modern 749 #7,236
2013 modern 775 #7,152
2014 modern 778 #7,159
2015 modern 771 #7,149
2016 modern 785 #7,030

Geography

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Where Cruises are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Liverpool, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Derby, Hyndburn, Barnsley and Rotherham. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 004 Knowsley
2 Derby 009 Derby
3 Hyndburn 003 Hyndburn
4 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
5 Rotherham 015 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cruise

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cruise

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cruise, 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 Cruise surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cruise 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, Cruise 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

Cruise is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cruise falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cruise is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cruise

The surname CRUISE is of English origin and is thought to have derived from the Old French word "crois" or "cruce", meaning "cross". It was likely an occupational surname given to those who carried or painted crosses during religious processions.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name appears as "Robertus Croyce". The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297 also mention a "Johannes Crous".

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Crois, Croys, Crouse, and Cruce. Some of these spelling variations may have been influenced by the Latin word "crux", meaning "cross".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there is a record of a place called "Cruce" in Wiltshire, which may have been the origin of the surname for some families.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John Cruise, a merchant and alderman of London who lived during the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1471.

In the 16th century, the CRUISE surname was also found in Ireland, where it may have been adopted by settlers or derived independently from the Irish word "crois" meaning "cross".

Another prominent individual with this surname was William Cruise, an English politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Tregony in Cornwall during the late 17th century.

During the 18th century, the CRUISE name appeared in various parts of England, including Northumberland, where a family of that name held lands in the parish of Ingram.

In the 19th century, one notable bearer of the CRUISE surname was Thomas Cruise, an English artist and painter who was born in 1796 and known for his landscapes and seascapes.

Another individual of note was Samuel Ebenezer Cruise, an English author and writer on agriculture, who was born in 1794 and published several works on rural economy and farming practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cruise families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cruise 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. Lancashire leads with 96 Cruises recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 96 2.85x
Middlesex 34 1.20x
Somerset 28 6.13x
Devon 24 4.06x
Yorkshire 15 0.53x
Warwickshire 14 1.96x
Sussex 11 2.30x
Cornwall 9 2.80x
Cheshire 7 1.12x
Durham 7 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.83x
Surrey 6 0.43x
Northumberland 5 1.18x
Flintshire 4 5.24x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.67x
Hampshire 3 0.52x
Monmouthshire 3 1.46x
Angus 2 0.76x
Cumberland 2 0.82x
Lanarkshire 2 0.22x
Northamptonshire 2 0.75x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.87x
East Lothian 1 2.66x
Essex 1 0.18x
Kent 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.23x
Selkirkshire 1 3.89x
Shropshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 22 Cruises recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.75x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 22 10.75x
Manchester 20 13.20x
Birmingham 14 5.87x
Wellington 14 226.17x
Lifton 12 845.07x
Calstock 8 126.98x
Horton In Bradford 8 18.21x
Preston 8 8.88x
Sampford Arundel 8 5714.29x
Chelsea London 7 8.18x
Adlington 6 190.48x
Dawdon 6 57.75x
Sale 6 78.02x
Sampford Spiney 6 1500.00x
Windle 6 31.66x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 18.69x
Bowling 5 17.95x
Hastings St Leonards 5 71.12x
Sampford Arundell 5 2380.95x
St George Hanover Square 5 10.00x
Wallsend 5 37.34x
West Derby 5 5.07x
Westminster St John 5 14.46x
Barcombe 4 347.83x
Blackburn 4 4.46x
Flint 4 92.38x
Hulme 4 5.69x
Lenton 4 44.40x
Mile End Old Town London 4 6.62x
St Pancras London 4 1.75x
Bedwellty 3 8.28x
Teversall 3 750.00x
The Holy Sepulchre 3 681.82x
Bermondsey 2 2.37x
Brixworth 2 175.44x
Carisbrooke 2 24.75x
Elton 2 17.18x
Isleworth 2 15.85x
Kensington London 2 1.27x
Shoreditch London 2 1.63x
Stoke Damerel 2 4.84x
Topsham 2 71.68x
Walton Le Dale 2 22.10x
Wigan 2 4.25x
Withycombe Rawleigh 2 64.94x
Workington 2 14.30x
Bardsey Island 1 769.23x
Barony 1 0.43x
Battersea 1 0.96x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.38x
Brighton 1 1.04x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.25x
Caterham 1 16.37x
Cheetham 1 3.98x
Dundee 1 1.02x
Fulwood 1 27.47x
Galashiels 1 10.54x
Govan 1 0.44x
Greenwich 1 2.21x
Harlington 1 66.67x
Islington London 1 0.36x
Kirkdale 1 1.76x
Lambeth 1 0.40x
Leeds 1 0.63x
Liff Benvie 1 2.51x
Maker 1 33.67x
Mayfield 1 35.34x
Newton 1 3.85x
Portsea 1 0.88x
Rainhill 1 46.30x
Sheffield 1 1.12x
Shipton 1 555.56x
St Anne Soho London 1 6.17x
Stansted Mountfitchet 1 70.42x
Stockport 1 3.10x
Taunton St Mary 1 11.92x
Toxteth Park 1 0.88x
Tranent 1 19.69x
Warrington 1 2.50x
Whittingham 1 67.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Ellen 10
Elizabeth 8
Ann 6
Margaret 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Catherine 3
Martha 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elizebath 2
Helen 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Winifred 2
Amelia 1
Amey 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
C. 1
Christina 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Esmy 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Joannah 1
John 1
Julia 1
Lina 1
Liza 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Nancy 1
Philadelphia 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 16
Thomas 16
James 13
Francis 5
Frederick 4
George 4
Henry 4
Michael 4
Robert 4
Charles 3
Peter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Alma 1
Alvin 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Augustine 1
Bernard 1
Charlie 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Eli 1
Garrat 1
Harry 1
Heinrick 1
Hugh 1
Hy. 1
Ishmael 1
Jim 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Terence 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Cruise surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cruise surname in 1881?

In 1881, 291 people were recorded with the Cruise surname. That placed it at #9,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cruise surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 785 in 2016. That gives Cruise a modern rank of #7,030.

What does the Cruise surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who sails regularly, or who makes a living sailing the seas.

What does the Cruise map show?

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