Show ContentsCrimmins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Originally, Crimmins was a nickname for a person noted as a guardian. The name, which is Mac Cruimein in Gaelic, is derived from the Old Norse Hromund, which means famed protector. "The late Dr. Alexander Carmichael, who gives the Gaelic form of the name as Maccriomthain, says that a woman of the name in St. Kilda recited some of the island songs to him. " [1]

Interestingly, Crimond is a parish, in the district of Deer, county of Aberdeen. "This place once contained a castle belonging to the celebrated Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, which stood on a small hill called Castlehill, and was suffered to fall into ruins after his fatal defeat at the battle of Inverury by Robert Bruce. " [2]

Early Origins of the Crimmins family

The surname Crimmins was first found in on the Isle of Skye, where they were hereditary Pipers to the MacLeods of Dunvegan and founded the famous College of Piping, the most celebrated of its kind in the world.

"A family of the name were hereditary pipers to Macleod of Macleod, the last of whom, Lieut. MacCrimmon, had a farm in Glenelg in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The name is found on one of the rune-inscribed crosses at Kirk Michael, Isle of Man, as Rumun. " [1]

Interestingly, Crimond is a parish, in the district of Deer, county of Aberdeen. "This place once contained a castle belonging to the celebrated Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, which stood on a small hill called Castlehill, and was suffered to fall into ruins after his fatal defeat at the battle of Inverury by Robert Bruce. " [2]

Early History of the Crimmins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crimmins research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1533 is included under the topic Early Crimmins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crimmins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Crimmins has appeared in various documents spelled MacCrimmon, MacRimmon, MacCrummen, MacCrummin, Crimmon, Crimmons, Crimmin and many more.

Early Notables of the Crimmins family

More information is included under the topic Early Crimmins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crimmins Ranking

In the United States, the name Crimmins is the 10,518th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Migration of the Crimmins family

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Crimmins, or a variant listed above: Donald MacCrimmon, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1847; W. Crimmond arrived in New York in 1822; John Crimmin arrived in Philadelphia in 1861.


Contemporary Notables of the name Crimmins (post 1700) +

  • Barry Crimmins (1953-2018), American stand-up comedian and author of Never Shake Hands With a War Criminal
  • John Hugh Crimmins (1919-2007), American former United States Ambassador to Dominican Republic 1966 to 19690
  • Bernard Anthony Crimmins (b. 1919), American former NFL offensive lineman
  • Eileen M. Crimmins, American gerontologist Professor of Gerontology at the University of Southern California
  • Dan Crimmins (1863-1945), English actor and comedian
  • Michael Crimmins (b. 1974), Irish sportsperson
  • Roy Crimmins (b. 1929), English jazz trombonist
  • Peter Crimmins (1948-1976), Australian rover for the Hawthorn Football Club
  • John Crimmins Hankinson, American banker

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. James Crimmins (d. 1956), aged 21, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 13 [4]


The Crimmins Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Permitte caetera divis
Motto Translation: Leave the rest to the Gods.


  1. 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)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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