Show ContentsCramsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Cramsey comes from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Cnaimhsighe," which was derived from a female personal name. 1 This Irish name was then anglicized to Kneafsey, Crampsey, Bonar, and their variants. Bonar comes from a pseudo translation of Cnaimhsighe, as "cnamh" by itself means "bone."

Early Origins of the Cramsey family

The surname Cramsey was first found in 1095, when the Annals mention Scannlan O Cnaimhsige as the confessor of Lismore. In 1584 Philip MacShane Y Neasy was on of Lord Viscount Roche's men, and was probably a northern Irish mercenary.

Early History of the Cramsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cramsey research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1659 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Cramsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cramsey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kneafsey, Kneaphsey, Neecy, O'Kneafsey, O'Knawsie, O'Crawsey, Crampsey, Crampsy, Crampsie, Cramsey, Boner and many more.

Early Notables of the Cramsey family

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

Migration of the Cramsey family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Michael Crampsey and Patrick Bonar, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1816 and 1817; Mary Crampsay, who sailed to Baltimore in 1821; Shane, Mary, and Danieal Crampsey, who immigrated to St. John, New Brunswick in 1847.


Contemporary Notables of the name Cramsey (post 1700) +

  • Denise Cramsey (1969-2010), American two-time Primetime Emmy Award winning producer, known for her work on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2003) and Trading Spaces (2000)
  • Dennis J. Cramsey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1972 2


The Cramsey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Denique coelum
Motto Translation: Heaven at last.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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