Crittendon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Crittendon is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in the village of Crotynden (Crittenden or Cruttenden) in West Kent. This lost village is thought to have derived its name from the Old English personal name Gu(dh)here + Old English "-ing" and "denn," literally meaning "person living near a woodland pasture." (Oxford)

Another source claims the name was derived from "the cot on the lower hill; from cru, a cot; tane, lower, and dun or din, a hill; or it may be the chalk hill, from krit, Saxon, chalk." 1

Early Origins of the Crittendon family

The surname Crittendon was first found in West Kent at Crittenden. While this is the generally accepted origin of the name one source claims the family originally "came from Criddon, formerly Critendone (Cridela's hill), in Shropshire." 2

Early History of the Crittendon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crittendon research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1481 is included under the topic Early Crittendon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crittendon Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Crittendon family name include Crittenden, Cruttenden, Critenden, Crutenden and many more.

Early Notables of the Crittendon family

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

Crittendon Ranking

In the United States, the name Crittendon is the 10,933^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Crittendon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Crittendon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Crittendon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Stebonheath" in 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Crittendon (post 1700) +

Chiles Crittendon Coleman, American Republican politician, Kansas State Attorney General, 1903-07

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEBONHEATH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Stebonheath.htm