| ![Show Contents]() Crofton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient history of the Crofton name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided as dwellers by a croft or small farm or enclosure. The surname Crofton originally derived from croeft, an Old English word for a small farm. 1 Early Origins of the Crofton familyThe surname Crofton was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. These early rolls included: Richard de Crofton and Robert de Crofton in Buckinghamshire as both holding lands that at that time. 2 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Robertus de Croftone; Agnes de Crofton; and Thomas de Crofton. Early History of the Crofton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crofton research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1232, 1585, 1586, 1626, 1657, 1661, 1671, 1672, 1690, 1734, 1842 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Crofton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Crofton Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Crofton include Crofton, Croftone, Crofden, Croften and others. Early Notables of the Crofton familyNotables of this surname at this time include:  Migration of the Crofton family to Ireland
Some of the Crofton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 452 words (32 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Crofton migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Crofton or a variant listed above:
Crofton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- William Crofton, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 3
Crofton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Crofton, aged 47, who landed in New York in 1812 3
- Thomas Crofton, who settled in Philadelphia in 1850
- Phillip Crofton who settled in Philadelphia in 1869
| Crofton migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Crofton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Miss Ann Crofton, (Dunn), Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 25th November 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
- Isabella Crofton, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Warren Hastings"
- Mary A. Crofton, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Warren Hastings"
| Contemporary Notables of the name Crofton (post 1700) | + |
- Sir Edward Crofton (1778-1816), 3rd Baronet
- Edward Crofton (1806-1869), 2nd Baron Crofton
- Anne Crofton (1751-1817), 1st Baroness Crofton, Irish suo jure peeress
- Sir Edward Crofton (1748-1797), 2nd Baronet, Irish politician
- Professor John Crofton,
- Guy Patrick Gilbert Crofton (b. 1951), 7th Baron Crofton, Irish Peer and British Army officer
- Morgan Crofton (1826-1915), Irish mathematician, eponym of the "Crofton formula"
- Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort
- Thomas Crofton Croker (1798-1854), Irish antiquary and folklorist, son of Thomas Croker, a major in the army 5
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: Dat deus incrementum
Motto Translation: God gives increase.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
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Crofton migration to the United States 
Crofton migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
