Show ContentsCreychtoune History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the ancient Scottish-English border region, the ancestors of the name Creychtoune lived among the Boernicians. They lived near a border. This surname came from the Gaelic word crioch and the Old English word tune, which mean border and farm or settlement, respectively. Thus, the surname indicates that the original bearer lived near a border. The name may also have derived from a place name, such as Crichton, near Edinburgh, or the territories of Kreiton in Lothian.

Early Origins of the Creychtoune family

The surname Creychtoune was first found in Midlothian, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The first on record was Turstan Crectune, who was granted lands by King David of Scotland in 1128. Alexander and Thomas Creighton both having territories in Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland, in 1296. [1]

Early History of the Creychtoune family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creychtoune research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1514, 1543, 1560, 1582, 1585, 1593, 1598, 1612, 1613, 1639, 1662, 1670, 1672, 1674, 1691, 1734, 1797, 1890 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Creychtoune History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creychtoune Spelling Variations

Spelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. Creychtoune has been spelled Crichton, Creighton, Creaton, Craighton, Creton, Creeton, Crichten, Crighton, Chreichton, Creichtone, Creychton, Creychtoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Creychtoune family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Lord Crichton, Viscount Frendraught; William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar (died 1450s) ; Robert Crichton (died 1585), Catholic cleric, nephew of George Crichton, (d. 1543), Bishop of Dunkeld; and Robert Crichton, 6th Lord Sanquhar (died 1612); William Crichton (1598-1691), 2nd Earl of Dumfries; and James Crichton of Clunie (1560-1582), better known as the Admirable...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creychtoune Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Creychtoune family to Ireland

Some of the Creychtoune family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Creychtoune family

After making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Creychtoune or a variant listed above: John Crichton who settled in New Jersey in 1686; James Crichton settled in New York in 1820; James Critton settled in Potomac Maryland in 1747; Ann Crighton settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774.



  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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