| ![Show Contents]() Cruze History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The origins of the Anglo-Saxon name Cruze come from its first bearer, who was a brave or fierce person. The surname Cruze is derived from the Old English words "crus" or "cruse" which mean "bold, fierce." 1 Another source claims the word "cruse" means "the merry." 2 Early Origins of the Cruze familyThe surname Cruze was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where Nicholas le Cruise was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1213. 1 Later, Nicolas le Cruse was listed in Bedfordshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 2 as was Robert Creuse. Richard de Crues was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Devon in 1214. 1 "Cruse or Cruwys (sometimes modernized as Crews) was the name of a very ancient and distinguished Devonshire family of Netherex, now scantily surviving in the county, as at Ashburton." 3 "According to D'Alton, the Irish family of this surname sprang from a Norman, who, at the Conquest, settled in Cornwall. At the invasion of Ireland under Henry II., a branch accompanied Strongbow, and obtained grants of various estates in the counties of Dublin and Meath." 4 So as to note the Irish connection for the family, we found Sir John Cruys or Cruise (died 1407) a prominent Irish military commander, diplomat and judge. He was a major landowner in County Dublin and County Meath and built Merrion Castle. The family first settled in Cornwall and emigrated to Ireland during the Strongbow invasion. The family acquired many lands, including Cruisetown in County Meath and Naul, where one Robert de Cruys (died 1292) held the lands in the time of King Edward I. Early History of the Cruze familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cruze research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cruze History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cruze Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Cruze has been spelled many different ways, including Cruise, Cruice, Crouse, Cruse and others. Early Notables of the Cruze familyMore information is included under the topic Early Cruze Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Cruze family to Ireland
Some of the Cruze family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Cruze migration to the United States | + |
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Cruzes to arrive in North America:
Cruze Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Tho Cruze, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 5
Cruze Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Miss Nellie Cruze, (b. 1873), aged 30, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd October 1903 en route to North Adams, Massachusetts, USA 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Cruze (post 1700) | + |
- Kyle Layman "Buddy" Cruze (1933-2018), American football player, First-team All-American (1956)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
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Cruze migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
