Craib History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Craib history starts with such a migration. As the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refers either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, physical appearance, habits, or character, among other attributes. Flemish names of this type frequently feature the prefixes lile, which meant the. The surname Craib is a nickname for a cross-grained, ill-tempered, or fractious person. The surname Craib may have been applied as a nickname for some who was crabby. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word crabba, which means crab, or from the Old English word crabbe, which means wild apple. This latter reference implies that the origin may lie as a habitation name "one who lives near the wild apple trees." 1

Early Origins of the Craib family

The surname Craib was first found in Cambridge but the Crail variant may have come from much farther north in Fife, Scotland where the former royal burgh so named was derived from the Pictish word "caer" which meant fort. Today Crail is the home to the oldest golf club in the world, instituted in February 1786.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Henry Crabbe, Cambridgeshire; Robert Crabbe, Somerset; and Richard Crabbe, Norfolk. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two listings of the family: Matilda Crab; and Johannes Crabbe. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "the first of the name of prominence was Paul Crab, in Aberdeen, 1310." 2

One of the most famous early family members was John Crabbe (fl.1305-1352), a Flemish merchant, pirate and soldier. He defended Berwick Castle for the Scots against English forces in 1318, but after being captured by the English in 1332, he then assisted the English when they again besieged at Berwick in 1333.

As an engineer, he was in charge of the siege machine, causing "sore problems" for the English defenders of the Castle. In that year, the Count of Flanders committed to the King that if he caught John Crabb he would hang him for 'murder'. However, this same John Crabb was a much sought after commander, and King Robert the Bruce rewarded him with lands in Auchmolen, Auchterrony, and Prescoby, for his services with his siege machine. In 1332, John Crabb also assisted Bruce in the siege of Perth.

The same person became high on the political scale of the Scottish nation, and his sept branched into many directions. He treated with the English for the release of Earl David of Huntingdon, and ultimately obtained his release for him to become King David of Scotland. The name flourished for the next few centuries on their many estates. 2

Early History of the Craib family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Craib research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1331, 1332, 1362, 1384, 1398, 1401, 1621, 1641, 1642, 1680, 1754, 1832 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Craib History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craib Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Crabb, Crabbe, Crab, Crabe and others.

Early Notables of the Craib family

Prominent in the family at this time was John Crabb of Auchmolen; and Roger Crab (1621-1680), an English soldier, haberdasher, herbal doctor and writer from Buckinghamshire who some believe was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's The Mad Hatter. Another source claims he was a hermit, a native of Buckinghamshire. "About 1641 he began to restrict himself to a vegetarian diet, avoiding even butter and cheese. From roots he got to a regimen of broth thickened with bran, and pudding made of bran and turnip leaves chopped together, and finally resorted to...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Craib Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craib migration to the United States +

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Craib, or a variant listed above:

Craib Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Craib, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1892

Craib Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alexander Craib, aged 31, who arrived in America from Edinburgh, in 1905
William W. Craib, aged 44, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1907
Frank Craib, aged 26, who arrived in America from Kenmay, Scotland, in 1908
Isabella Craib, aged 26, who arrived in America from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1910
Annie Craib, aged 5, who arrived in America from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Craib (post 1700) +

Ashley Craib, American actress, known for her work on Portrait of Leonore (2011), One Day (2009) and Pretty Little Liars (2010)
Raymond Craib, American Associate Professor for Cornell University, History Department
Ian Craib (1945-2003), English sociologist and psychotherapist
Jeff Craib, Canadian President of The Feldman Agency, Toronto, Canada

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)