Crittenden
An English surname probably from a place name, likely meaning someone who came from a valley or settlement called Crittenden/Croxdale-type forms.
The #5,432 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,159 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as locational, with the form pointing to an English place-name origin. The 19th-century surname dictionaries connect it with a place in Gloucestershire and compare it with forms such as Cruttenden and Croasdale, suggesting a name built from an older local place-name element rather than a personal name or occupation. The exact place derivation is not fully settled in the excerpts, so the safest summary is that it likely meant someone from a specific English locality.
History
The name is found in England and later in the English-speaking world, including the United States. The historical excerpts also show it being discussed alongside related surnames and place-names, which reflects the common way English locational surnames were analyzed by 19th-century writers. In American usage, Crittenden became especially visible through prominent bearers such as politicians and lawyers in the 19th century.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname was notable enough in 19th-century America to be used as an example in discussions of family names, alongside the variant Chittenden.
From the historical record
“ill loc. n., Glos. Crittenden. See Cruttenden Croager, Croaker. See Crocker 1 Croasdale. From Croixdal ; a i I loc. n., Normandy. Or Croxdale, Dur.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)