CROOKS
Crooks is a surname of English origin, with its earliest recorded use in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name R. Croc in Hampshire. It is derived from the Middle English word crok or croke, meaning a hook or a bend, which in turn comes from the Old Norse word krokr.
The name is thought to have been applied both as a topographic identifier for a person living near a bend in a river or road and as an occupational designation for a maker, seller or user of hooks. The dual possibility reflects the frequent use of natural or man-made features and available trades as distinctive markers in medieval rural communities.
Historic references to the surname appear in several forms. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire record a Robert de Crokis in 1297, during the reign of King Edward I. In 1379 the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns list a Thomas de Crokes, and a parish register from Dronfield in Derbyshire notes the christening of Isabel, daughter of Richard Crooks, on 26 February 1699.
The surname has a noted presence in Scotland where it is linked to the lands of Crooks in the parish of Avondale, Lanarkshire, and is associated with Clan Gordon. In Ireland, the name is found among Christian communities and is linguistically compatible with Gaelic naming practices that often employ descriptive elements such as “krokr” to describe physical features or geographic positions.
In contemporary times, the name Crooks is most widely distributed across English‑speaking nations. According to surname distribution data, it is most prevalent in the United States, with the highest density of individuals per capita found in Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom and Canada also contain significant populations of people bearing the surname.
Variations of the surname include Croke, Crook, Crooke, Cruick, Crocker, Crock, Krooks, Kruik, Krook and others. Such differences arise from regional dialects, phonetic spelling variations, and influence from Germanic or Scandinavian languages.
Typical given names associated with the Crooks surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Jacqueline
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Crook
- Crookes
- Crooke
- Croke
- Croes
- Croocks
- Croock
- Caracas
- Caracci
- Caraccio
- Carcas
- Carcascio
- Carcass
- Carkis
- Carks
- Carocci
- Caroux
- Carucci
- Caruccio
- Corcos
- Corekci
- Corkes
- Corks
- Cracks
- Cragges
- Craggs
- Crags
- Craiggs
- Craigs
- Crakes
- Creeks
- Creggs
- Cricks
- Criggs
- Crix
- Croakes
- Croaks
- Crockes
- Crocks
- Croggs
- Croix
- Crokes
- Crookers
- Crookshaw
- Crookson
- Crooms
- Croops
- Croos
- Croose
- Cros
- Crose
- Crouk
- Crous
- Crows
- Crox
- Cruck
- Cruick
- Cruik
- Cruiks
- Crux
- Curks
- Curroux
- Garaguso
- Garaux
- Gargas
- Garricks
- Garrigues
- Garriques
- Gherxi
- Gorgas
- Graggs
- Gragoose
- Graux
- Graygoose
- Greaux
- Greegs
- Gregas
- Greggs
- Gregs
- Gregus
- Greiggs
- Grekos
- Grex
- Greygoose
- Gricks
- Griegs
- Grigas
- Griggs
- Grigs
- Grikis
- Grix
- Groggs
- Grokes
- Groux
- Grycz
- Guirguis
- Karacs
- Karagoz
- Karakas
- Karakus
- Karakuzu
- Karcz
- Kargas
- Karikas
- Karikos
- Karkos
- Kerekes
- Kergozou
- Kerks
- Kirgs
- Kiriakos
- Kirkes
- Kirkos
- Kirks
- Kirkus
- Korakas
- Korcz
- Korkis
- Korkosz
- Korkus
- Kourakis
- Kourakos
- Krecz
- Krekis
- Krix
- Krokos
- Krokosz
- Krook
- Krywycz
- Kurcz
- Kuriakose
- Kurkus
- Kurucz
- Kyriacos
- Kyriakis
- Kyriakos
- Kyrkos
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Crooks in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 5,378 people named Crooks in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,759th most common surname in Britain. Around 83 in a million people in Britain are named Crooks.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Crooks
- Garth Crooks - Football player
- Matt Crooks - Football player
- Ben Crooks - Rugby league player
- Sammy Crooks - Football player and manager (1908 to 1981)
- Leon Crooks - Football player
- Lee Crooks - Rugby league football player and coach
- Paul Crooks - Football player (1966 to 2019)
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.