Show ContentsCrichtan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Crichtan

What does the name Crichtan mean?

The ancestors of the surname Crichtan were thought to have been a Boernician family in ancient Scotland. They lived near a border. This surname came from the Gaelic word crioch and the Old English word tune, which mean border and farm or settlement, respectively. Thus, the surname indicates that the original bearer lived near a border. The name may also have derived from a place name, such as Crichton, near Edinburgh, or the territories of Kreiton in Lothian.

Early Origins of the Crichtan family

The surname Crichtan was first found in Midlothian, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The first on record was Turstan Crectune, who was granted lands by King David of Scotland in 1128. Alexander and Thomas Creighton both having territories in Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland, in 1296. 1

Early History of the Crichtan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crichtan research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1514, 1543, 1560, 1582, 1585, 1593, 1598, 1612, 1613, 1639, 1662, 1670, 1672, 1674, 1691, 1734, 1797, 1890 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Crichtan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crichtan Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. Crichtan has been spelled Crichton, Creighton, Creaton, Craighton, Creton, Creeton, Crichten, Crighton, Chreichton, Creichtone, Creychton, Creychtoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Crichtan family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Lord Crichton, Viscount Frendraught; William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar (died 1450s) ; Robert Crichton (died 1585), Catholic cleric, nephew of George Crichton, (d. 1543), Bishop of Dunkeld; and Robert Crichton, 6th Lord Sanquhar (died 1612); William Crichton (1598-1691), 2nd Earl of Dumfries; and James Crichton of Clunie (1560-1582), better known as the Admirable...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crichtan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crichtan family to Ireland

Some of the Crichtan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crichtan family

The east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name Crichtan or a variant listed above: John Crichton who settled in New Jersey in 1686; James Crichton settled in New York in 1820; James Critton settled in Potomac Maryland in 1747; Ann Crighton settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774.



  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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