2000
#811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,844
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.40
Uncommon Last name
Crosby
Derived from a place name meaning "village with a cross" in Old Norse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,821 Americans carry the last name Crosby. That puts it at #874 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,647 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crosby surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Crosby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,647
Census rank
#874
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,086 bearers of the surname Crosby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 874th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crosby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crosby
The surname Crosby has its origins in England, specifically in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old Norse words "kross" meaning "cross" and "by" meaning "town" or "village." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a settlement near a cross or crossroads.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Crosby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Crosbyvillam." This entry refers to a village in Lancashire, which later became known as Crosby.
In the 12th century, the name Crosby is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, which were records of financial transactions and tax collections. These rolls list individuals with the surname Crosby living in various areas of the county.
During the 13th century, the name Crosby appeared in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire, which were records of legal proceedings and court cases. This suggests that the surname had spread to neighboring counties by this time.
One notable figure bearing the Crosby surname was Sir John Crosby (c. 1440-1475), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London. He was involved in the construction of Crosby Hall, a prestigious medieval building that still stands today.
Another prominent individual with the Crosby surname was Brass Crosby (1725-1793), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1770.
In the literary world, Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), a American writer and composer, is renowned for her prolific output of over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, despite being blind from infancy.
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby (1903-1977), an American singer, actor, and comedian, is perhaps one of the most famous individuals to bear the Crosby surname. He was a celebrated entertainer and one of the first multimedia stars, appearing in numerous films, radio shows, and television programs.
The Crosby surname can also be found in various place names across England, such as Crosby, Merseyside; Crosby Ravensworth, Cumbria; and Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria, further reinforcing its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crosby
Among Census respondents with the surname Crosby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Crosby bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Crosby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.7% · 26,466
- Black or African American23.2% · 9,055
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,618
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,350
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 305
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 292
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crosby
Crosby appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,563
+1,719 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 13.75
Rank movement Down 40 places
2020
#874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,086
-1,477 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 13.08
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #811 | 38,844 | 14.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #851 | 40,563 | 13.75 | +1,719 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 40 places |
| 2020 | #874 | 39,086 | 13.08 | -1,477 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 23 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Crosby surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #851 | #874 | -2.7% |
| Count | 40,563 | 39,086 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 13.75 | 13.08 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crosby bearers went from 40,563 to 39,086 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #851 to #874.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Crosby
FAQ
Crosby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crosby?
Name Census estimates that about 44,821 living Americans carry the surname Crosby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,647 residents.
How common is Crosby?
Crosby ranks #874 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,086 people with the surname Crosby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,821), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Crosby.
Has Crosby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crosby went from 40,563 recorded bearers to 39,086. That is a decrease of 1,477 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #851 to #874.
What does the Census say about the background of Crosby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crosby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Crosby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.7% (26,466 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crosby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.7%), Black (23.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Crosby (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Crosby mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "village with a cross" in Old Norse. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Crosby (13.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Crosby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.