Crespin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change, including many immigrants with new names. Among these were the ancestors of the Crespin family, whose name comes from the Old English given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname which means curly-haired. 1 Much of the popularity of the name in the early Middle Ages is a result of the popularity of St. Crispin, who was martyred at Soissons in 285 AD.

Early Origins of the Crespin family

The surname Crespin was first found in Oxfordshire where they had been granted the lands of Cowley by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The source Old English Bynames lists the name in the Latin form: Benedictus Crispus c.1030 as the first record of the family. Almost two hundred years later, Walter Crips was listed in the source Early London Personal Names as living there c. 1200. 2 Later the family became well established in Norfolk, where they are to this day well known.

In Norfolk, the family goes back at least as far as the 14th century. "In 1388, Richard Crispe was patron of the living of Cockthorp, to which he presented one of the family; another Richard Crispe was buried in Erenze church in 1517." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Robert le Crespe in Oxfordshire; Thomas le Crespe in Somerset; and Gilbert le Crispe in Oxfordshire. 1

Early History of the Crespin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crespin research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1533, 1599, 1600, 1603, 1625, 1628, 1630, 1643, 1666, 1692, 1749 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Crespin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crespin Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Crisp, Cripps, Crispin, Crispe, Crisppin, Crispp and many more.

Early Notables of the Crespin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicholas Crisp (1599?-1666), English Royalist, descended from a family possessing estates in Gloucestershire and engaged in trade in London; Ellis Crisp (died 1625), Sheriff of London; Tobias Crisp D.D. (1600-1643), an English clergyman and reputed antinomian; and Sir Nicholas Crispe, 1st Baronet (c.1599-1666), an English Royalist and a wealthy merchant who pioneered the...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crespin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crespin Ranking

In the United States, the name Crespin is the 12,078^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Crespin is ranked the 1,095^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,948 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Crespin family to Ireland

Some of the Crespin 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.

Crespin migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Crespin or a variant listed above:

Crespin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Crespin, a Huguenot, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1753
Joseph Crespin, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 6

Crespin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crespin Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Marie Crespin, who arrived in Montreal in 1667

Contemporary Notables of the name Crespin (post 1700) +

Michael H Crespin, American Professor in the department of Political Science at Michigan State University
Irene Crespin (1896-1980), Australian geologist and paleontologist, recipient of the Clarke Medal (1957)
Régine Crespin (b. 1927), French operatic soprano

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)