Crabb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Germany 
  Scotland 


As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Crabb history starts with such a migration. As the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refers either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, physical appearance, habits, or character, among other attributes. Flemish names of this type frequently feature the prefixes lile, which meant the. The surname Crabb is a nickname for a cross-grained, ill-tempered, or fractious person. The surname Crabb may have been applied as a nickname for some who was crabby. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word crabba, which means crab, or from the Old English word crabbe, which means wild apple. This latter reference implies that the origin may lie as a habitation name "one who lives near the wild apple trees." 1

Early Origins of the Crabb family

The surname Crabb was first found in Cambridge but the Crail variant may have come from much farther north in Fife, Scotland where the former royal burgh so named was derived from the Pictish word "caer" which meant fort. Today Crail is the home to the oldest golf club in the world, instituted in February 1786.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Henry Crabbe, Cambridgeshire; Robert Crabbe, Somerset; and Richard Crabbe, Norfolk. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two listings of the family: Matilda Crab; and Johannes Crabbe. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "the first of the name of prominence was Paul Crab, in Aberdeen, 1310." 2

One of the most famous early family members was John Crabbe (fl.1305-1352), a Flemish merchant, pirate and soldier. He defended Berwick Castle for the Scots against English forces in 1318, but after being captured by the English in 1332, he then assisted the English when they again besieged at Berwick in 1333.

As an engineer, he was in charge of the siege machine, causing "sore problems" for the English defenders of the Castle. In that year, the Count of Flanders committed to the King that if he caught John Crabb he would hang him for 'murder'. However, this same John Crabb was a much sought after commander, and King Robert the Bruce rewarded him with lands in Auchmolen, Auchterrony, and Prescoby, for his services with his siege machine. In 1332, John Crabb also assisted Bruce in the siege of Perth.

The same person became high on the political scale of the Scottish nation, and his sept branched into many directions. He treated with the English for the release of Earl David of Huntingdon, and ultimately obtained his release for him to become King David of Scotland. The name flourished for the next few centuries on their many estates. 2

Early History of the Crabb family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crabb research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1331, 1332, 1362, 1384, 1398, 1401, 1621, 1641, 1642, 1680, 1754, 1832 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Crabb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crabb Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Crabb, Crabbe, Crab, Crabe and others.

Early Notables of the Crabb family

Prominent in the family at this time was

Crabb Ranking

In the United States, the name Crabb is the 5,926th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3


Crabb migration to the United States +

Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Crabb family to immigrate North America:

Crabb Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Crabb Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Crabb Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Crabb Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Crabb migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crabb Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Crabb migration to Australia +

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

Crabb Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Crabb 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:

Crabb Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Crabb (post 1700) +
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