2000
#9,546
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Cryer
An occupational surname for a town crier, one who made public announcements and proclamations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,476 Americans carry the last name Cryer. That puts it at #10,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cryer 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 Cryer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,606
Census rank
#10,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,031 bearers of the surname Cryer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cryer
Among Census respondents with the surname Cryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cryer 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 Cryer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 2,152
- Black or African American17.8% · 541
- Two or more races4.7% · 142
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cryer
Cryer 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
#10,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,168
+44 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 634 places
2020
#10,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,031
-137 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,546 | 3,124 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,180 | 3,168 | 1.07 | +44 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 634 places |
| 2020 | #10,135 | 3,031 | 1.01 | -137 bearers (-4.3%) | Up 45 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 Cryer 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 | #10,180 | #10,135 | 0.4% |
| Count | 3,168 | 3,031 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.01 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cryer bearers went from 3,168 to 3,031 (-4.3% change). The surname moved up 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,180 to #10,135.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cryer
FAQ
Cryer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cryer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,476 living Americans carry the surname Cryer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,606 residents.
How common is Cryer?
Cryer ranks #10,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,031 people with the surname Cryer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,476), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cryer.
Has Cryer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cryer went from 3,168 recorded bearers to 3,031. That is a decrease of 137 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,180 to #10,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Cryer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Cryer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (2,152 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cryer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (17.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Cryer (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 Cryer mean?
An occupational surname for a town crier, one who made public announcements and proclamations. 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 Cryer (1.01 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 are called Cryer?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Cryer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.