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Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

The first people to use the name Kroch were Vikings who settled in ancient Scotland in the medieval period. Kroch was a name for a crooked person. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norman word crok which meant "hook" or "something crooked." While this origin can be expected, more accurately, the name was for someone "who came from Crook (hill, or bend of a river), the name of several places in England and Scotland." 1

Early Origins of the Kroch family

The surname Kroch was first found in Westmorland at Crook, a chapelry, in the parish, union, and ward of Kendal 2 of at Crook, a hamlet in the parish of Shevington, Lancashire. We find the earliest record of the family at the latter location. Specifically, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 list William del Crok there at that time. 3

Kirby's Quest lists Kohn de Cruk in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first years of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Crake; Thomas de Crokes; and Johanna de Crekes. 3

Moving further north into Scotland, two of the first entries were Malcolm Crok and Robert Cruk of Fingaldestone, Lanarkshire, who both rendered homage to King Edward I in his conquest of Scotland. A few years later, a benefice was reserved to Adam Croke of the diocese of St. Andrew in 1329 and John Cruke was a tenant in Garvalde under the Douglas in 1376. 5

Early History of the Kroch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kroch research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1562, 1574, 1575, 1576, 1582, 1591, 1617, 1635, 1641, 1649, 1674, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kroch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kroch Spelling Variations

Translation and spelling were non-standardized practices in the Middle Ages, so scribes had only their ears to rely on. This was a practice of extremely limited efficiency, and spelling variations in names, even within a single document, were the result. Over the years, Kroch has appeared Crook, Crooke, Crooks, Cruik, Cruiks, Crok, Cruke, Crukes, Cruikes and many more.

Early Notables of the Kroch family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Andrew Crooke (died 1674) and William Cooke (died 1641) who were London publisher partners who published significant texts of English Renaissance drama, most notably of the plays of James Shirley. Thomas Crooke (fl. 1582), was an English divine, matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in May 1560, where he was elected scholar 1562, and afterwards fellow, proceeded B.A. 1562. 6 Samuel Crooke (1575-1649), was an...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kroch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Kroch family to Ireland

Some of the Kroch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Kroch migration to the United States +

The fertile east coast of what would become US and Canada was soon dotted with the farms of Scottish settlers. Some of them remained faithful to the crown and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others had the chance to pay back their old oppressors in the American War of Independence. That brave spirit lives on today in the highland games that dot North America in the summer. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Kroch family came to North America quite early:

Kroch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jacob Kroch, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 7
  • Johann Kroch, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 7
  • Ludwig Kroch, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 7
  • Domican Kroch, who landed in Arkansas in 1886 7
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. 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)
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