Crow
An English surname that most often began as a nickname from the bird, or from a place-name linked to the crow.
The #1,482 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,817 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained from the bird name crow, used as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird in appearance, voice, or manner. Old English had crawa/crawe and Middle English kept forms like crow and crawe, which could also be used as by-names. Some surname work also notes a possible place-name influence in a few cases, so not every family named Crow must share the same origin.
History
Medieval records show forms such as Craw and related bird-based by-names, and the surname has long been established in England. It is also closely related to other surnames formed from bird names, such as Raven and Rook. In some families, especially where local records point that way, the name may have been reinforced or altered by settlement names or spelling variation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Thomas and John Lower both grouped Crow with surnames taken from birds, and Bardsley noted medieval spellings such as Craw and Crawenest.
From the historical record
“ley, Cromer, Croham, Crowshaw, and perhaps Crowfoot. CROW. CROWE. From the bird, like Raven, Rook, kc. We find it written Craw in the H.R., where also we meet with Crawenest or Crow's-nest. CROWDER. A player on the croivd, an ancient species of violin with six strings. (Irish cniii, Welsh crivth). In the West of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom