Craybtree History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Craybtree comes from when the family resided in the county of Yorkshire. Their name, however, indicates that the original bearer lived near a prominent crabtree. 1

Early Origins of the Craybtree family

The surname Craybtree was first found in Yorkshire where "this is a great Yorkshire surname. It is odd to think that by dwelling beside a particular crab-tree, the descendants of a particular pair should so increase that a perceptibly large number of people in the county of York should now be familiarly known by the name." 2

The predominance of the name in Yorkshire is of little doubt. However, not all sources agree. Another source claims: "Crabtree is also a Lancashire name" 3 and yet another notes that the name was derived from "a location name in Devon." 4

Early census records may help in this search. "Depositions from York Castle" noted that John Crabtre and William Crabtree as residing there, but no dates were given. John atte Crabbetrywe was listed in Essex in 1301. 1

Early History of the Craybtree family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Craybtree research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1563, 1610, 1620, 1639, 1644, 1667, 1685, 1706, 1881 and 1968 are included under the topic Early Craybtree History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craybtree Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Craybtree has been recorded under many different variations, including Crabtree, Crabbtree, Craybtree, Crabbetree and many more.

Early Notables of the Craybtree family

Distinguished members of the family include William Crabtree (1610-1644), English astronomer, mathematician, one of only two people to observe the first recorded transit of Venus in 1639. Born in the hamlet of Broughton Spout, Lancashire, he was also a mathematician and merchant. He is celebrated in one of the Manchester Murals in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall, painted by Ford Madox Brown in 1881. Henry Crabtree or Krabtree (fl. 1685), was an English "astrologer, would scarcely deserve mention here but for the fact that he has sometimes...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Craybtree Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Craybtree family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Craybtree or a variant listed above: Edward Crabtree who was farming in Virginia in 1635.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.