Show ContentsMcCrosky History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the Irish name McCrosky was written as Mac an Chrosain, which is derived from the word cros, which means cross.

Early Origins of the McCrosky family

The surname McCrosky was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat at Ballymacrossan on the border of Leix and Offaly. There they were an off-shoot of the notable Clan O'Moore which was the leading sept of the 'Seven Clans of Leix'. In Gaelic the surname is "Mac an Chrosain," but more frequently seen in the English form "Crosby" or "Crosbie" which was listed as early as the early 1600s. [1]

Early History of the McCrosky family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCrosky research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1619, 1621, 1638, 1639, 1658, 1689, 1695 and 1762 are included under the topic Early McCrosky History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCrosky Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name McCrosky revealed spelling variations, including Crossan, Crossen, McCrossan, McCrossen, MacCrossan, MacCrossin, MacCrossen, Crossin, MacCrosson, McCrosson, Crosson, McCrosin, McCrosen and many more.

Early Notables of the McCrosky family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Patrick McCrossan, Chief of his Clann; John Crosbie, alias Sean Mac an Chrosáin (died 1621), a bishop of the Church of Ireland; and his sons: Sir Walter Crosbie, 1st Baronet, died 4 Aug 1638; David Crosbie (died 1658), died 1658; Sir John Crosbie...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCrosky Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McCrosky migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name McCrosky:

McCrosky Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • S L B McCrosky, aged 62, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
McCrosky Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Theodore McCrosky, aged 5, who landed in America, in 1907
  • Jeanette McCrosky, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
  • Donald McCrosky, who landed in America, in 1907
  • James Warren McCrosky, aged 39, who settled in America, in 1908
  • James W. McCrosky, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The McCrosky 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: Indignante invidia florebit justus
Motto Translation: The just man will flourish in spite of envy.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook