Croxen Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Croxen dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in one of the settlements called Croxton in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, or Staffordshire; in Croxton Kerrial or South Croxton in Leicestershire; or in Croxton Green in Cholmondeley, which is in the county of Cheshire. Six of the Croxton villages or parishes are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, and were typically entered as Crochestone. The place name literally means "farmstead in a nook, or of a man called Krokr." 1

Early Origins of the Croxen family

The surname Croxen was first found in Cheshire, but there are parishes and hamlets in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire which explain why in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, we find such scattered listings throughout ancient Britain: Elena de Croxstone, Huntingdonshire; Sarra de Croxtone, Cambridgeshire; Abbas de Crokeston, or Croxton, Leicestershire; and Richard de Croxtone, Northumberland. 2

But Cheshire is the ancient homeland of the family as "there are places so called in various counties, but the eminent family of this name spring from the township of Croxton, co. Chester, their [family] seat in very early times." 3

It is generally thought that the family descend from the Lordship of Jocelyn or Godric, a Norman Baron recorded at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086. 4

Early History of the Croxen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croxen research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1650, 1651, 1654, 1659, 1663 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Croxen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croxen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Croxen have been found, including Croxton, Crockston, Cruxton, Croxon and others.

Early Notables of the Croxen family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Croxton (1603?-1663?), English parliamentarian, son of George Croxton of Ravenscroft, Northwich hundred, Cheshire. "He was colonel in the parliamentary army in 1650; militia commissioner for Chester the same year; member of a court-martial for trial of certain misdemeanants of quality on 10 Sept. 1651, and was continued in the militia commission in March 1654-5. In 1659 he was in command of Chester Castle when Sir George Booth's rising took place. The rebels entered the town and called upon him to surrender. He is said to have replied ‘that as perfidiousness in him was detestable...
Another 122 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Croxen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Croxen family to Ireland

Some of the Croxen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Croxen family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Croxen, or a variant listed above: John Croxton arrived on the Mayflower with his son, John; Randle Croxton settled Pennsylvania in 1682; Thomas and Walter Croxton settled in New Orleans in 1842..

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)