Crow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The name Crow comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a person who bore some fancied resemblance to a crow. This may have been based on appearance, but nicknames often described more intangible strong traits or features of animals. In the Middle Ages, anthropomorphic ideas were common; people attributed human qualities and form to animals, based on the creature's habits. The surname Crow is derived from the Old English word crowe, which in turn came from the Old English words crawe or crawa, which mean crow.

Early Origins of the Crow family

The surname Crow was first found in Norfolk and Suffolk where in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 we found: Ralph Crawe, Norfolk; Geoffrey Crowe, Norfolk; John Crawe, Suffolk; Walrann Crowe, Suffolk; and William Croe, Suffolk. 1

In Somerset, Hugh Crowe was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 2

Again in Norfolk, William Crawe, vicar of Wigenhale, St. Peter's in 1431 and the same source notes Philip Crowe, Norfolk, 1307; and Richard Crowe was buried there in 1717. 3

Further to the north in Scotland, John Crow and Thomas Crow, were of the diocese of Dunblane, on record, 1470 and Magnus Crow, was a follower of Walter Ross of Morange, 1596 may have derived his name from Croy, Inverness-shire. 4

Early History of the Crow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crow research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1611, 1616, 1627, 1630, 1632, 1641, 1646, 1668, 1669, 1675, 1683, 1692, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1743, 1781 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Crow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crow Spelling Variations

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 Crow has undergone many spelling variations, including Crow, Crowe and others.

Early Notables of the Crow family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Crow Ranking

In the United States, the name Crow is the 1,181st most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Crow family to Ireland

Some of the Crow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Crow migration to the United States +

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 Crow were among those contributors:

Crow Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Crow Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Crow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Crow migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crow Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Crow Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Crow migration to Australia +

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

Crow Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Crow 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:

Crow Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Crow (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Crow +
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