How Common Is the Last Name Crosby?

An estimated 44,821 people in the United States share the surname Crosby. That's about 1 in 7,647 Americans. This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname frequency tables.

This page covers the Crosby surname's frequency in the U.S. population, its rank among all American surnames, and a breakdown of ancestry and ethnicity data from the Census. You can also check how many people share any first + last name combination involving Crosby.

Estimated Americans with this Surname

44,821

About 1 in 7,647 people in the U.S.

Census Rank

#874

Uncommon 13.08 per 100K

Frequency Rate

13.08

per 100,000 people

Census Count

39,086

2020 Census

Data Source

2020

U.S. Census Bureau

Ancestry and Ethnicity for Crosby

The Crosby surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (67.71%). The next largest groups are Black (23.17%) and Two or More Races (4.14%).

Self-reported race and ethnicity from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables. Some categories may be suppressed for privacy when sample sizes are small.

White
67.71%
Black
23.17%
Hispanic
3.45%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.75%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.78%
Two or More Races
4.14%

Historical Census Data for Crosby

Crosby appears in 3 published Census surname releases on this site (2000, 2010, 2020). From 2000 to 2020, the raw count became more common and the per-100,000 rate became less common. Its best published rank was #811 in 2000.

Between the 2010 and 2020 census releases, the surname Crosby became less common in the United States. Both the raw count and the population-adjusted frequency moved down.

The line to watch most closely is per 100,000 people. That adjusts for overall population growth, so it shows whether Crosby became a bigger or smaller share of the country, not just whether the raw count went up.

Census Count Over Time

Raw Census count in each published surname release.

38,844 to 40,563

38,844 40,563 39,086 2000 2010 2020

Per 100,000 Over Time

Population-adjusted frequency, which is usually the cleaner trend line.

13.08 to 14.40

14.40 13.75 13.08 2000 2010 2020

Release-by-release summary

Each row is a published Census surname table for Crosby. The change column compares each release to the one before it.

Year Rank Count Per 100K Change vs prior release Largest recorded group
2000
#811 38,844 14.40 Baseline release White (72.62%)
2010
#851 40,563 13.75
Count 4.33%
Rate -4.62%
White (70.03%)
2020 Latest
#874 39,086 13.08
Count -3.71%
Rate -5.02%
White (67.71%)

If the raw count rose but the per-100,000 number fell, the surname still became less common relative to the size of the U.S. population. That is why the frequency rate usually tells the clearer story.

Recorded ancestry change

These percentages show how the Census profile for this surname shifted across the published surveys on this site.

Ancestry 202020102000 Change Since 2000
White 67.71%70.03%72.62% -6.99%
Black 23.17%24.02%23.10% 0.29%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.75%0.54%0.42% 56.05%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%0.72%0.79% -1.23%
Two or More Races 4.14%2.19%1.44% 96.77%
Hispanic 3.45%2.50%1.63% 71.75%

These percentages come from self-reported Census data. They describe how the recorded makeup of people using the surname Crosby changed from 2000 through 2020, not the deeper family origin of every bearer of the name.

First Name + Crosby Combinations

How many people share a full name with Crosby as the last name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Crosby Surname: Questions and Answers

How common is the last name Crosby?

Crosby is the #874 most common surname in the United States, with an estimated 44,821 people sharing this last name. It appears at a rate of 13.08 per 100,000 Americans.

Has the surname Crosby become more or less common over time?

In the published Census surname tables on this site, Crosby moved from 38,844 people in 2000 to 39,086 in 2020. The more important line is the population-adjusted rate, which changed from 14.40 to 13.08 per 100,000.

Why can the raw count go up while the rate per 100,000 goes down?

Because the total U.S. population can grow faster than the surname itself. A surname can have more people in absolute numbers but still make up a smaller share of the country, which is why the per-100,000 figure often tells the clearer story.

What does the ancestry change table show for Crosby?

It compares the published Census demographic mix for Crosby across releases on this page. That helps you see whether the recorded share of the surname shifted between groups over time, but it still does not tell the full family history of every person with the name.

What does 13.08 per 100,000 mean?

It means that if you picked 100,000 people in the United States at random, about 13.08 of them would have the surname Crosby. This is usually the clearest way to compare surnames because it adjusts for the size of the total population.

What ethnicity is the surname Crosby?

The Crosby surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (67.71%). The next largest groups are Black (23.17%) and Two or More Races (4.14%). This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables, which include self-reported race and ethnicity breakdowns.

Does the ancestry table tell the exact family origin of everyone named Crosby?

No. It shows how people with the surname Crosby identified in the Census. That is useful context, but it does not prove the deeper family history, nationality, or origin story of every person with the name.

How many people named [First Name] Crosby are there?

We can estimate any first + last name combination. Popular examples: Michael Crosby, James Crosby, John Crosby. Search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this surname data come from?

Surname frequency data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau decennial surname tables. These list every surname appearing in the Census along with frequency rates and demographic breakdowns. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination