CRANK
Crank is an English surname of Anglo‑Saxon origin, first recorded in the early thirteenth century. The name derives from the Middle English word cranke, meaning “bent” or “crooked”, and was originally a nickname applied to an individual with a physical deformity or a distinctive gait.
Early documentary evidence shows the name in the reign of King Henry II. The earliest documented spelling, Godric Cranc, appears in the Records of Bury St. Edmunds in 1221. Subsequent entries in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries are common in Lancashire parish registers, indicating a high concentration of the surname in that county. A notable example is the 1578 marriage of Richard Cranke and Ann Hart in St. Nicholas Acons, London. Further records include a 1590 marriage of Peter Crank and Ellen Cropper in St. Mary’s Church, Prestatyn and a 1685 christening of Mary, daughter of Thomas Crank, in Manchester Cathedral.
The surname has several well‑documented variants, such as Cranke, Cranc, Crankes, Cranck and Krank. Variations including Crankie, Crankin and Crankoe are less common but still recognised. In regions influenced by Germanic spelling conventions the name may appear as Kranc or Krankes. Suffixes such as Crankson or Crankfield have been recorded, usually indicating a direct paternal relation or a geographical association with the family.
Theories concerning the meaning of the surname extend beyond its original nickname usage. One theory proposes that it originates from the Old English word crinc, meaning “twist” or “curve”, which could denote either a peculiar physical trait or an occupation involving twisting, such as weaving. Another theory suggests a topographic origin from the Old English cranuc, meaning “bend” or “angle”, identifying someone who lived near a defensive bend or a steep place. A third hypothesis links the name to the bird crane, either as a topographic name for a person living near a crane‑infested waterway or as a nickname for a person with long legs.
In terms of heraldry, the coat of arms most commonly associated with the name features a blazon described as per bend sinister blue and green, a gold lion passant regardant, on a canton argent an escallop gules. The crest, that of a gold lion’s head erased, accompanies the armorial bearings. The presence of a canton, recognised as the highest heraldic honour, reflects a commemorated act of valour in battle.
Contemporary distribution data indicate that the surname remains most frequent in Lancashire where it first became established. In the twentieth century it was also recorded in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and other parts of England. Internationally, the name has spread, with significant populations identified in the United States, particularly in Kentucky, and in Australia. According to global surname databases, there are about eleven thousand individuals bearing the name Crank worldwide, ranking it approximately twenty‑thousandth on the list of common surnames.
Typical given names associated with the Crank surname
Male
- Adrian
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- Ian
- John
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Russell
- Stephen
Female
- Amanda
- Diane
- Emma
- Gemma
- Hazel
- Helen
- Jean
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- Michelle
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Crank in...
Braille
⠉⠗⠁⠝⠅
Morse
-.-..-..--.-.-
Semaphore
There are approximately 844 people named Crank in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,442nd most common surname in Britain. Around 13 in a million people in Britain are named Crank.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Crank
- John Crank - Mathematician (1916 to 2006)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.