The Cromwell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,087 people carried this name — #4,397 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,500 people counted. That is up 5% from 7,687 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Cromwell surname

An English habitational surname from Old English from any of several placenames.

From Old English crump (“crooked, bent”) + wella (“spring”), equivalent to crump + well.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Cromwell» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Cromwell’.

An early record he cites: Ralph de Crumwell, Gloucestershire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 218 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

49 families named Cromwell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 300 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Cromwell, Crommel, Crommell, Cromvell, Cromwel, Crumuell, Crumwell. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maryland 19
New York 16
New Hampshire 5
Maine 3
Pennsylvania 2
North Carolina 2
Virginia 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 235 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Cromwell in American newspapers,
1908.

Newspaper page from Daily Press carrying the name Cromwell
Daily Press 1908-11-01
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Cromwell
The Salt Lake Tribune 1908-10-25
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Cromwell
The Salt Lake Tribune 1908-12-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,788 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Cromwell in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

6,436 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cromwell. The most, 1,405, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,435
Victoria 1,736
Queensland 870
South Australia 629
Western Australia 308
Tasmania 252
ACT (Canberra) 146
Northern Territory 8

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cromwell.

Who carried it

People named Cromwell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Cromwell
    Thomas Cromwell 1485–1540 · judge
  • Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell
    Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell 1520–1551 · politician
  • Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell
    Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell 1520–1551 · politician
  • Catherine Cromwell
    Catherine Cromwell 1557–1621
  • Robert Cromwell
    Robert Cromwell 1560–1617 · politician
  • Henry Cromwell d. 1711

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Cromwell,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States863 records

863 records of the Cromwell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 273
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 217
  • Other U.S. records 373
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Warren R. Cromwell

    Born 1923 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Boston; waiter from Plymouth County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Earl Lee Cromwell

    Born 1944; from Ft Lauderdale, Florida. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1965 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Barbara Cromwell

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the Isaac Webb from Liverpool, aged 17; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 863 records for Cromwell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada321 records

321 records of the Cromwell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 298
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Neaily Cromwell

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Cromwell

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Prussian, bound for London, Ontario; England.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eva Cromwell

    Buried in 1973 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 65.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 321 records for Cromwell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia60 records

60 records of the Cromwell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 33
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 17
  • Other Australian records 10
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Josef Cromwell

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Maria, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Louisa Cromwell

    Gentlewoman of Wheelers Hill, Victoria; died 1988.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record James Cromwell

    Left Launceston in 1854 aboard the Halcyon, bound for Newcastle, as crew.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 60 records for Cromwell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Cromwell name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Janna Cromwell

    Married in 1631 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Artheer Cromwell

    Buried in 1774 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Johanna Maria Cromwell

    Born 1900 in Kampen.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Cromwell in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Cromwell name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Cromwell

    York and Lancaster Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Cromwell

    Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Cromwell

    Scots Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Cromwell name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Philipp Cromwell

    From Nürnberg, Mittelfr. Reported missing in the Bavarian casualty list of 14 December 1917; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 14 February 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Cromwell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Cromwell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Cromwell volume
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