Christmas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
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The history of the name Christmas begins in the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for a person born at Christmas. During the Middle Ages, many nicknames referred to various religious festivals, medieval name days, or the particular day of the week when feudal services were fulfilled.

"Camden thinks, as a baptismal name, in consequence of the individual having been born on the day of the festival. In like manner in France, Noel was first a Christian, afterwards a family name." 1

Early Origins of the Christmas family

The surname Christmas was first found in Essex where Geoffrey Cristesmasse was first listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls included: Felicia Cristemasse, Huntingdonshire; and Hugh Cristemasse, Cambridgeshire. 2

"It is an ancient name in the eastern counties, and in the 13th century it was still established in the form of Cristemasse in Cambridgeshire and Hunts, and there were a few of the name in Essex. In 1433 John Crystmasse was a gentleman of Morden - Steeple in this county." 3

Early History of the Christmas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Christmas research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1191, 1308, 1602 and 1634 are included under the topic Early Christmas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Christmas Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Christmas are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Christmas include: Christmas, Cristmas, Cristmus, Christmus and many more.

Early Notables of the Christmas family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Christmas Ranking

In the United States, the name Christmas is the 4,757th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4


Christmas migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Christmas or a variant listed above:

Christmas Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Christmas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christmas migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Christmas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Christmas migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Christmas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Christmas (post 1700) +
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