Cranifart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Cranifart family lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Cranifart was a habitational name, taken on from a place in Bedfordshire named Cranfield, 1 derived the from Old English words "cran," or "crane" meaning "open," and "feld," meaning a "field." 2

Early Origins of the Cranifart family

The surname Cranifart was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England. 3 4 The ancient Latin source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum" compiled in the reigns of Henry III - Edward I, listed Philippa de Cranefeld, Oxfordshire. 5 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Alexander de Crannefeld in Huntingdonshire. 6

Alternatively the name could have originated in Cranford, a parish, in the union of Kettering, hundred of Huxloe in Northamptonshire. In this case, the source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum" lists John de Cranniford and Ralph de Craneford, as the first on record. 5 Later the Hundredorum Rolls listed: Geoffrey de Cranford in Devon; John de Cranford in Leicestershire; and Richard de Cranford in Buckinghamshire. 6

Early History of the Cranifart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cranifart research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1592, 1621, 1625, 1645, 1651, 1657, 1674, 1675, 1680, 1682, 1685 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Cranifart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cranifart Spelling Variations

The 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. Cranifart has been spelled many different ways, including Cranfield, Cranefield and others.

Early Notables of the Cranifart family

Distinguished members of the family include Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex (1575-1645), English merchant and nobleman, Lord High Treasurer in 1621; James Cranford (c.1592-1657), an English Presbyterian clergyman, active as a licenser of theological publications under the Commonwealth; James Cranfield, 2nd Earl of Middlesex (1621-1651), an English politician; Lionel Cranfield, 3rd Earl of...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cranifart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cranifart family

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 Cranifarts to arrive in North America: Edward and Anne Cranfield and their three sons, who came to Virginia in 1634; Peter Cranfeild, who came to Virginia in 1638; Francis Cranfield, who came to Barbados in 1657.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)