Explore the Family Name Crook
The meaning of Crook
English: 1. topographic name from Old Norse krókr ‘nook or bend’ denoting someone who lived by a bend in a river or road. In some instances the surname may have arisen as a habitational name from any of the places called Crook in Cumberland and Durham, or Crooke in Lancashire, all of which are derived from this word. 2. topographic name for someone who lived ‘(at the) barrow or mound’ from Brittonic crüg. In some instances this may have arisen as a habitational name from either Crook in Combe Raleigh or perhaps Crooke in North Tawton (both Devon), which are derived from this word. 3. from the Middle English personal name Crok (Old Norse Krókr ‘hook, barb’), which may have been introduced into England from Denmark or from Normandy. The name may also derive from Middle English crok ‘hook; something crooked’, also ‘trick or ruse’ (from Old Norse krókr as in the name above). The name was perhaps originally bestowed on a cripple or hunchback, but in early medieval England this was used as a personal name. 4. in Ireland (Fermanagh) Crook(e) mainly reflects post-medieval settlement of English families, but it is unclear which of the name’s several origins (see 1–3 above) are involved.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Crook in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Crook" saw a slight decline between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 2323rd most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 2484th position, indicating a decrease of 6.93%. However, the actual count of individuals with this last name increased slightly from 14,279 in 2000 to 14,526 in 2010, marking a growth of 1.73%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,323 | #2,484 | -6.93% |
| Count | 14,279 | 14,526 | 1.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.29 | 4.92 | -6.99% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Crook
Turning to ethnic identity data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there were some significant changes among those bearing the surname "Crook" between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with this surname self-identified as White, though this category saw a slight decrease from 85.01% in 2000 to 83.28% in 2010. The proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races saw increases over this period, rising by 38.30% and 34.38% respectively. There was also a notable increase in the proportion of individuals with this surname identifying as Hispanic, which grew by 66.67%. Meanwhile, the proportions identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, changing by just 1.71% and 6.02% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.01% | 83.28% | -2.04% |
| Black | 11.13% | 11.32% | 1.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.29% | 2.15% | 66.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.28% | 1.72% | 34.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.88% | 6.02% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.65% | 38.3% |
Crook ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Crook is British & Irish, which comprises 56.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.5%) and Scandinavian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.7% |
| French & German | 22.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.7% |
| Other | 16.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Crook
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Crook have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
What Crook haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Crook is I-Z60, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z60 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Head, Lemke, Holliday, Grainger, Gould, Hoy, Gardiner, Oakes, Burch, Crouse.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Crook surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Crook have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Crook" Surname 45.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Crook" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Crook" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Crook" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Crook?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Crook are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition