"Crane family" redirects here. For the Gruidae, see
Crane (bird).
Crane is a surname. The name is a derivative of "Cron" in Old English or is the English translation of the German "Krahn" or "Kranich."[1] According to The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain & Ireland, "Cron," "Krahn" and "Kranich" all mean "crown" in both Old English and German respectively. According to the same source, "Crone" is also compared with "Crane", "Crown", "Cron" and "Crowne".[2] In some places in Britain, "Crane", when used as a name, can also be a reference to a tall, slender man, similar to the bird, "Crane" or to someone with long legs. Both the modern English version of "Crane" and modern German versions of "Krahn" or "Kranich" are more commonly associated with the tall bird than with a crown and the Old English and Old German translations have become less common.
Notable people with the surname include:
- Albert Victor Crane (1923–2003), Western Australian politician
- Andy Crane (b. 1964), English radio and television presenter
- Arthur G. Crane (1877–1955), American teacher and politician
- Barry Crane (1927–1985), American television producer and director and bridge player
- Ben Crane (b. 1976), American professional golfer
- Bill Crane (1924–2014), Australian rules footballer
- Bob Crane (1928–1978), American DJ and actor, played Hogan in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
- Bob Crane (cricketer) (1942–2013), Australian cricketer
- Brian Crane, American cartoonist, creator of the Pickles comic strip
- Bruce Crane (1857–1937) American tonalist painter
- Callum Crane (b. 1996), Scottish footballer
- Caprice Crane (b. 1974), American screenwriter, author, and producer
- Charles Crane, mayor of Honolulu (1938–41)
- C. Howard Crane Charles Howard Crane (1885–1952), American architect
- Charles Richard Crane (1858–1939), American philanthropist
- Cheryl Crane (b. 1943), daughter of actress Lana Turner
- Dan Crane (1936–2020), American dentist and member of the US House of Representatives
- David Crane (disambiguation), several people
- Eva Crane (1912–2007), British researcher on bees and beekeeping
- Evan J. Crane, American chemist and editor of Chemical Abstracts
- Frank Hall Crane (1873-1948), American actor and director
- Frederick E. Crane (1869–1947), Chief Judge of the NY Court of Appeals
- George W. Crane (1901–1995), psychologist, physician, and newspaper columnist
- Hart Crane (1899–1932), American poet
- Harry Crane (1914–1999), American comedy writer
- Hewitt Crane (1927–2008), pioneer computer scientist
- Horace Richard Crane (1907–2007), American physicist
- Irene Crane (active 1910-1911), American silent film actress
- Israel Crane (1774–1858), American businessman
- James Crane (disambiguation), several people
- Jonathan Crane (politician) (1750–1820), politician in Nova Scotia
- Jonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), American clergyman, author and abolitionist
- Jordan Crane (comics) (b. 1973), American comics creator
- Jordan Crane (rugby union) (b. 1986), English rugby union player
- Joseph Halsey Crane (1782–1851), American soldier and attorney
- Laurence Crane (b. 1961), English composer
- Les Crane (1933–2008), American announcer and talk show host
- Louis Crane, quantum gravity theorist
- Lucy Crane (1842–1882), English writer, art critic and translator
- Mary Crane (disambiguation), several people
- Mason Crane (b. 1997), English cricketer
- Nicholas Crane (b. 1954), British cartographer, explorer and broadcaster
- Nicky Crane (1959–1993), British neo-Nazi activist
- Olive Crane Mary Olive Crane (born 1957), Canadian politician and social worker
- Olive Kathleen Crane (1895–1935), Australian artist
- Oliver Crane (born 1998), American trans-Atlantic rower
- Oliver Crane (clergy) (1822–1896), American clergyman, scholar, writer
- Paul Crane (1944–2020), American football player
- Peter Crane (b. 1954), director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
- Phil Crane (1930–2014), Republican member of the US House of Representatives
- Richard Crane (disambiguation), several people
- Ronald Crane (1886–1967), American literary critic and historian
- Roy Crane (1901–1977), American cartoonist
- Sarah Crane (b. 1972), Australian opera soprano
- Sibylla Bailey Crane (1851–1902), American educator, composer, author
- Simon Crane (b. 1960), British stuntman
- Stanley Crane Leo Stanley Crane (1915–2003), American railroad executive
- Stephen Crane (1871–1900), American author
- Stephen Crane (delegate) (1709–1780), American politician
- Susanne Crane (b. 1966), American artist
- Theodus Crane (b. 1979), American actor and martial artist
- Thomas Crane (1808–1859), English artist and portrait painter
- Thomas Frederick Crane (1844–1927), American folklorist, academic and lawyer
- Vincent Crane (1943–1989), founder of rock group Atomic Rooster
- Walter Crane (1845–1915), English artist, part of the Arts and Crafts movement
- Whitfield Crane (b. 1968), American musician
- William Crane (disambiguation), several people
- ^ "Dictionary of American Family Names - See 'Crane'"
- ^ "The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain & Ireland"