Show ContentsMoncrief History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Scottish name Moncrief is a habitational name, taken on from Moncreiffe Hill near the Royal Burgh of Perth. The surname itself came from the name of the lands granted to Sir Matthew de Muncrefe by King Alexander II in 1248. It is claimed that Sir Matthew was a member of a cadet branch of a family desceded from Maldred, brother of King Duncan and a descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of Ireland, who lived circa 400 A.D. in Tara. Today, Moncreiffe Island, also known as Friarton Island divides the River Tay into two channels as it flows through Perth in Scotland.

Early Origins of the Moncrief family

The surname Moncrief was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where William de Moncrefe and John de Moncref, rendered homage to King Edward I of England during the latter's brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. In that same year Thomas de Mouncref was taken as a Scots prisoner of war at Dunbar Castle. The estate of Easter Moncreiffe was gifted to a younger son of the family in 1312. 1

Early History of the Moncrief family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moncrief research. Another 324 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1488, 1626, 1685, 1776, 1811, 1829, 1851, 1874, 1895, 1906, 1919, 1948, 1957 and 1985 are included under the topic Early Moncrief History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moncrief Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Moncreiffe, Moncrieffe, Moncreif, Moncreiff, Moncreyfe and many more.

Early Notables of the Moncrief family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Colonel Sir Alexander Moncrieff (1829-1906) who was born in Edinburgh...
  • A member of the Scottish military and a brilliant engineer, he is best known for the invention of the Moncrieff Pits and disappearing carriages for siege and fortress guns...

Moncrief Ranking

In the United States, the name Moncrief is the 6,685th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2


United States Moncrief migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moncrief Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Moncrief, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States from Dublin, in 1903
  • Wilhelmine Moncrief, aged 36, who immigrated to America, in 1905
  • John Moncrief, aged 52, who landed in America, in 1913
  • Tom Moncrief, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • David M. Moncrief, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1921
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Moncrief migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moncrief Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Thomas Moncrief, aged 50, who immigrated to St. John's, Newfoundland in 1905

Contemporary Notables of the name Moncrief (post 1700) +

  • William Alvin Moncrief Jr. (1920-2021), American businessman in the oil and gas sector, President of Moncrief Oil, and was a billionaire member of the 2006 Forbes 400, with an estimated net worth of US$1 billion
  • Mike Moncrief, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State Senate 12th District; Elected unopposed 1992, 1994, 1996; Elected 2000; Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas; Elected 2007, 2009 3
  • Brianne Hughes Moncrief (b. 1983), American soap opera actress
  • Michael J. Moncrief, American politician, Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas (2003 to 2011)
  • Zachary Thomas Moncrief (b. 1971), American Primetime Emmy Award nominated director of animated television programs
  • Sidney A. Moncrief (b. 1957), retired American professional basketball player
  • James Moncrief (1741-1793), trained engineer and military officer of Scottish Highlander descent
  • Julie Moncrief Anthony OBE, AM (b. 1949), Australian entertainer voted by her peers as "Entertainer of the Year" 3 times and "Best Female vocalist" 11 times
  • Moncrief Livingston, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Columbia County, 1802-03, 1804-06, 1808-09 4


The Moncrief 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: Sur esperance
Motto Translation: Upon hope.


  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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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