ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪ ˈɑːksfɚd dˈɪkʃənˌɛɹi ʌv fˈæmɪli nˈeɪmz ɪn bɹˈɪtən ænd ˈaɪɚlənd, "kɹˈɑːn," "kɹˈɑːn" ænd "kɹˈænɪʃ" ˈɔːl mˈiːn "kɹˈaʊn" ɪn bˈoʊθ ˈoʊld ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ænd dʒˈɜːmən ɹᵻspˈɛktɪvli.
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.