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The Crenshaw name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the village of Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in Lancashire. The name is derived from the Old English "cran(uc)" which means "crane" + "sceaga" which means "grove" or "thicket." 1 Another source claims the name literally means "the twisting or winding shaw (wood.)" 2
The surname Crenshaw was first found in Lancashire at Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in the parish of Rochdale or Bury. One of the first records of the name was William de Crounkeshawe who was listed there in 1412. 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crenshaw research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1572, 1590, 1610, 1612, 1626, 1649 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Crenshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Crenshaw has undergone many spelling variations, including Crawshaw, Crawshay, Crawshawe, Cranshaw, Crankshaw and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include William Crashaw (1572-1626), English Puritan divine and poet, son of Richard Crashaw of Handsworth, near Sheffield, Yorkshire.
Major Joseph Croshaw (1610-1667), son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw, was a substantial planter living near Williamsburg in the US Colony and Dominion...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crenshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Crenshaw is the 1,755th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 4
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Crenshaw were among those contributors: