Show ContentsCrowden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Crowden surname means "a professional player, or entertainer of a crowd," a crowd being the name of a six string violin popular in the British Isles for many centuries. The instrument is still called a 'crwth' in Wales today, and in Ireland a "cruit." In the west of England a fiddle is still called a 'crowdy-kit'. "It appears to have been a favourite instrument in Britain so early as the VI century." 1

Early Origins of the Crowden family

The surname Crowden was first found in Yorkshire, where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Katerina Crowder and Thomas Crouder. These are the strongest listings of the name but there are others. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Richard le Cruder in Kent and later William le Crouther was listed in Cheshire. 2

Early History of the Crowden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crowden research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1609, 1611, 1642, 1646, 1666, 1830 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Crowden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crowden Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Crowder, Crouder, Croder and others.

Early Notables of the Crowden family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crowden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Crowden family to Ireland

Some of the Crowden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Crowden migration to Australia +

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

Crowden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Crowden, (b. 1825), aged 19, English convict who was convicted in Bath, Somerset, England for 10 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Crowden (post 1700) +

  • James Gee Pascoe Crowden CVO (1927-2016), English Olympic rower, Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
  • Ian Bruce Crowden (1933-2023), Australian cricketer who played eight first-class matches for Tasmania between 1961 and 1963


The Crowden 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: En Dieu est ma fiance
Motto Translation: In God is my trust.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa


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