Crook
A mostly locational surname for someone from a place called Crook, though in some cases it may also reflect a bend, nook, or crook-shaped feature of the landscape.
The #2,484 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,255 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally taken from one or more places called Crook in England and Scotland, so it began as a name for someone who came from such a place. The place-name itself is usually connected with a bend, curve, or hook-shaped feature in the land, and some sources compare it with related northern words for a bend or crooked place. A few older writers also suggested a Gaelic connection in certain contexts, but the main explanation is locational.
History
Historical surname collections place Crook chiefly in northern England, with examples tied to places in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Westmorland, Durham, and elsewhere. The spelling Crooke also appears, and some later families simplified or retained the shorter form Crook. Because the name is tied to several local places, it likely arose independently in more than one district.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers sometimes treated Crook and Crookes together, seeing both as names connected with a bend or curve in the land.
From the historical record
“is derived, is a parish in Nottinghamshire. CROOK. CROOKE. CROOKES. Places in Westmoreland, Durham, and Moray, are called Crook, but the name is prolial)ly identical with Croke. CROOM. 1. A parish in Yorkshire. 2. Gael. A circle of stones. CROSBIE. See Crosby. CROSBY. Parishes, &c. in cos. Ayr,”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom