Crosser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Scottish history reveals Crosser was first used as a surname by the Strathclyde-Briton people. It was a name for someone who lived in Wigtown and Dumfriesshire. The place-name Crosby is derived from the Old Norse words kross and byr, which mean cross and farm. 1

Early Origins of the Crosser family

The surname Crosser was first found in Wigtownshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway.

Some of the family originated further south in northern England, specifically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumberland. We found one reference in the Lincolnshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Geoffrey de Crosseby.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Thomas de Crosby; Robertus de Crosseby; and Walterus de Crosseby. 2

Early History of the Crosser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crosser research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1180, 1189, 1215, 1289, 1296, 1347, 1376, 1440, 1471, 1475, 1546, 1593 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Crosser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crosser Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Crosser has been spelled Crosby, Crosseby, Crosbie, Crossby, Corsby and many more.

Early Notables of the Crosser family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir John Crosby (d. 1475), of Crosby Place, Alderman of London, probably grandson of Sir John Crosby, doubtfully described as alderman of London, who died before 1376, leaving a son John in his minority. Both...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crosser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crosser family to Ireland

Some of the Crosser family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crosser migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

Crosser Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

An Crosser, who arrived in Virginia in 1665-1666 3

The Crosser 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: Resurgam
Motto Translation: I shall rise again

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)