Crafton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Crafton surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in one of many places names Grafton.

The surname Crafton is a habitational surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The name was derived from the Old English word graf meaning "gorve" and tun meaning "enclosure." 1

Early Origins of the Crafton family

The surname Crafton was first found in Leicestershire where William de Graftona was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1130. Later John de Grafton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire c. 1280 and John Grafton was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1443. 2

In Marton-cum-Grafton, a parish three miles from Boroughbridge, in the liberty of Knaresborough in Yorkshire, the following early rolls noted the family estates. The Freemen of York listed William de Grafton, 2 Edward II (during the second year of King Edward II's reign) and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Robertus de Grafton; and Alicia de Grafton, 1379. 3

Early History of the Crafton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crafton research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1480, 1511, 1535, 1537, 1572 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Crafton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crafton Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Crafton include Grafton, Graphton, Graffton and others.

Early Notables of the Crafton family

Notables of the family at this time include Richard Grafton (1511-1572), member of the Grocers' Company and was the King's Printer under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He "was a prosperous London merchant and a member of the Grocers' Company. In 1537 his zeal for the reformed religion led him to arrange for the printing of the Bible in English. Coverdale's translation had been first printed abroad in 1535. In 1537...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crafton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crafton Ranking

In the United States, the name Crafton is the 7,038^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Crafton migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Crafton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Crafton, who arrived in Virginia in 1672

Crafton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Davd Crafton, who arrived in Boston in 1765

Crafton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Walter Crafton, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1904
Edward Crafton, aged 31, who settled in America from Kilmain, Mays, Ireland, in 1907
Thomas Harold Crafton, aged 27, who settled in America from London, England, in 1912
John Crafton, aged 61, who landed in America, in 1920
Ramon Crafton, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Welliaustal, Dutch West Indies, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Crafton (post 1700) +

Eric Crafton (b. 1967), American politician, member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, representing the 22nd district
Matthew "Matt" Crafton (b. 1976), American race car driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Historic Events for the Crafton family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. John Bertram Crafton (d. 1912), aged 59, American First Class passenger from Roachdale, Indiana who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html