Criswell
A surname most likely built from a place-name element, probably meaning “the well by the cress” or a similar local landmark.
The #4,401 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,225 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Criswell is generally understood as an English locational surname. It likely comes from a place-name formed from Old English elements such as cress or cross-like forms combined with well, meaning a spring or well. The first element is not fully certain, so the name is usually treated as a habitational surname from a now-lost or minor place-name rather than a transparent everyday word.
History
The surname appears in English-speaking records as families moved away from the original locality and were identified by the place they had left. In the United States, Criswell became established through later immigration and internal migration, and it is now a relatively uncommon surname. The spelling has remained fairly stable, though like many English surnames it may reflect older regional pronunciations.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Criswell is close in form to the better-known English surname Cresswell, and the two are sometimes confused in records because both contain the same final -well element.