NameCensus.

UK surname

Cryer

An occupational surname for a town crier, one who made public announcements and proclamations.

In the 1881 census there were 1,646 people recorded with the Cryer surname, ranking it #2,606 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,527, ranked #4,055, down from #2,606 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, Harrogate and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cryer is 2,268 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.2%.

1881 census count

1,646

Ranked #2,606

Modern count

1,527

2016, ranked #4,055

Peak year

1911

2,268 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cryer had 1,646 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,606 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,527 in 2016, ranked #4,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,268 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Cryer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cryer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cryer 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 1,091 #2,575
1861 historical 986 #2,825
1881 historical 1,646 #2,606
1891 historical 1,808 #2,540
1901 historical 2,062 #2,597
1911 historical 2,268 #2,230
1997 modern 1,617 #3,663
1998 modern 1,652 #3,727
1999 modern 1,624 #3,816
2000 modern 1,604 #3,849
2001 modern 1,595 #3,787
2002 modern 1,620 #3,803
2003 modern 1,607 #3,748
2004 modern 1,596 #3,794
2005 modern 1,567 #3,804
2006 modern 1,573 #3,787
2007 modern 1,597 #3,775
2008 modern 1,565 #3,871
2009 modern 1,568 #3,948
2010 modern 1,580 #4,003
2011 modern 1,585 #3,940
2012 modern 1,521 #4,030
2013 modern 1,542 #4,050
2014 modern 1,544 #4,075
2015 modern 1,538 #4,037
2016 modern 1,527 #4,055

Geography

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Where Cryers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Keighley and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, Harrogate and Bury. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
2 Rochdale 002 Rochdale
3 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
4 Rochdale 004 Rochdale
5 Bury 001 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cryer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cryer

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Cryer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cryer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Cryer is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cryer is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cryer falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cryer

The surname Cryer originated in England and is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "crier", meaning "to cry out". It was a term used to describe a town crier, whose job was to make public announcements and proclamations by loudly calling out in the streets.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century, with the spelling variants "Criour", "Cryer", and "Cryour" appearing in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Criour, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195.

The Cryer surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Cryer's Hill in Gloucestershire and Cryer's Green in Kent. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Cryer surname who were landowners or residents in those areas.

Historically, the Cryer surname has been prominent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:

1. Thomas Cryer (c. 1600-1670), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1664. 2. John Cryer (1740-1817), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. 3. William Cryer (1800-1876), an English author and publisher who wrote several works on local history and topography. 4. Robert Cryer (1810-1873), a British trade unionist and founder of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. 5. Frederic Cryer (1871-1957), an English actor and playwright known for his work in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

While the Cryer surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval town criers who once announced news and proclamations on the streets of English towns and villages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cryer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cryer 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 748 Cryers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 748 3.92x
Yorkshire 460 2.89x
Gloucestershire 112 3.55x
Somerset 46 1.78x
Warwickshire 45 1.11x
Kent 42 0.77x
Middlesex 40 0.25x
Surrey 26 0.33x
Northamptonshire 19 1.26x
Glamorgan 16 0.57x
Cheshire 14 0.39x
Wiltshire 12 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.51x
Sussex 10 0.37x
Derbyshire 8 0.32x
Durham 8 0.17x
Essex 7 0.22x
Leicestershire 4 0.22x
Norfolk 4 0.16x
Devon 3 0.09x
Hampshire 3 0.09x
Berkshire 2 0.17x
Isle of Man 2 0.67x
Royal Navy 2 1.04x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
West Lothian 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. Blatchinworth in Lancashire leads with 149 Cryers recorded in 1881 and an index of 343.08x.

Place Total Index
Blatchinworth 149 343.08x
Wuerdle Wardle 105 181.32x
Castleton 48 25.20x
Wardleworth 45 41.28x
Bingley 31 30.56x
Leeds 30 3.34x
Spotland 30 14.15x
Habergham Eaves 29 16.63x
Wick Abson 25 517.60x
Bristol St George 24 16.46x
Ashton Under Lyne 23 5.52x
Oldham 23 3.74x
Salford 22 3.92x
Foulridge 21 432.99x
Monks Kirby 18 201.79x
Barnoldswick 17 76.44x
Sheffield 17 3.35x
Clifford Cum Boston 16 111.73x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 15.60x
Tottington Higher End 16 73.70x
Keighley 15 8.83x
Old Laund Booth 15 819.67x
Todmorden Walsden 15 29.35x
Bitton 14 51.02x
Bradford 14 3.63x
Idle 14 18.95x
Bootle Cum Linacre 13 8.58x
Heaton 13 75.98x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 8.09x
Nether Hallam 12 5.57x
Whalley 12 43.17x
Hunslet 11 4.43x
Selby 11 33.04x
Shipley 11 13.31x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 10 171.23x
Silsden 10 212.77x
Walcot 10 7.26x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 3.03x
Cliviger 9 83.80x
Hopwood 9 36.09x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 9 22.40x
Paddington London 9 1.52x
Sutton In Keighley 9 99.78x
Ash Next Sandwich 8 65.95x
Batheaston 8 90.29x
Beswick 8 16.40x
Birdsall 8 451.98x
Bury 8 3.67x
Higher Booths 8 23.26x
Huddersfield 8 3.45x
Mangotsfield 8 25.45x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.43x
Rugby 8 14.59x
Stockport 8 4.38x
Walmersley Cum 8 26.25x
Walton On Hill 8 7.74x
Westerleigh 8 113.15x
Brightside Bierlow 7 2.24x
Butterworth 7 15.06x
Coedfrank 7 36.10x
Devizes St Mary 7 48.71x
Everton 7 1.15x
Glossop Dale 7 5.94x
Great Little Marsden 7 8.01x
Greenwich 7 2.74x
Holbeck 7 6.63x
Kildwick 7 48.24x
Manningham 7 3.57x
North Meols 7 3.75x
Skircoat 7 11.14x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.47x
Warley 7 15.20x
Woolwich 7 3.45x
Bermondsey 6 1.25x
Blagdon 6 110.09x
Burnley 6 3.73x
Guilsborough 6 149.63x
Hornsey 6 2.95x
Horton In Bradford 6 2.41x
Padiham 6 13.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 119
Sarah 95
Elizabeth 63
Ann 42
Hannah 34
Ellen 32
Emma 26
Alice 25
Jane 25
Martha 24
Annie 17
Eliza 16
Emily 10
Harriet 10
Charlotte 9
Edith 9
Ada 8
Betty 8
Clara 8
Anne 7
Betsy 7
Elizth. 7
Ethel 7
Florence 7
Margaret 7
Matilda 7
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Kate 6
Lucy 6
Amelia 5
Louisa 5
Rebecca 5
Ruth 5
Susannah 5
Grace 4
Maggie 4
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Maria 3
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Julia 2
Kitty 2
Leah 2
Margt. 2
Mercy 2
Nancy 2
Nellie 2

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cryer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cryer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,646 people were recorded with the Cryer surname. That placed it at #2,606 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cryer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,527 in 2016. That gives Cryer a modern rank of #4,055.

What does the Cryer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a town crier, one who made public announcements and proclamations.

What does the Cryer map show?

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