Show ContentsCarcroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Carcroft family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Carcroft comes from when the family lived in Carcroft, a hamlet in the parish of Owston in Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Carcroft family

The surname Carcroft was first found in South Yorkshire, at Carcroft, a rural village part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The earliest record of the village was in the 12th century when it was listed as Kercroft and literally meant "enclosure near the marsh" having derived from the Old Scandinavian word "kjarr" + and the Old English word "croft." 1

Early History of the Carcroft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carcroft research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1296, 1379 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Carcroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carcroft Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Carcroft has appeared include Cockcroft, Cocckecroft, Carrecroft, Calcraft, Chalcraft, Choldcorft, Cracroft, Chalcroft and many more.

Early Notables of the Carcroft family

More information is included under the topic Early Carcroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carcroft family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Carcroft arrived in North America very early: George Cockcroft who arrived in Virginia in 1641; and James Cockcroft who sailed to New York in 1789.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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