Cracroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cracroft

What does the name Cracroft mean?

The ancestors of the name Cracroft date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Cracroft family lived in Carcroft, a hamlet in the parish of Owston in Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Cracroft family

The surname Cracroft was first found in South Yorkshire, at Carcroft, a rural village part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The earliest record of the village was in the 12th century when it was listed as Kercroft and literally meant "enclosure near the marsh" having derived from the Old Scandinavian word "kjarr" + and the Old English word "croft." 1

Early History of the Cracroft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cracroft research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1296, 1379 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Cracroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cracroft 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 Cracroft 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 Cracroft include: Cockcroft, Cocckecroft, Carrecroft, Calcraft, Chalcraft, Choldcorft, Cracroft, Chalcroft and many more.

Early Notables of the Cracroft family

More information is included under the topic Early Cracroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cracroft family

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 Cracroft or a variant listed above: George Cockcroft who arrived in Virginia in 1641; and James Cockcroft who sailed to New York in 1789.

Contemporary Notables of the name Cracroft (post 1700) +

Bernard Cracroft Aston (1871-1951), English chemist and botanist

Sources +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)