Show ContentsCrip History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Crip reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Crip family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Crip is based on the Old English given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname which means curly-haired. [1] Much of the popularity of the name in the early Middle Ages is a result of the popularity of St. Crispin, who was martyred at Soissons in 285 AD.

Early Origins of the Crip family

The surname Crip was first found in Oxfordshire where they had been granted the lands of Cowley by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The source Old English Bynames lists the name in the Latin form: Benedictus Crispus c.1030 as the first record of the family. Almost two hundred years later, Walter Crips was listed in the source Early London Personal Names as living there c. 1200. [2] Later the family became well established in Norfolk, where they are to this day well known.

In Norfolk, the family goes back at least as far as the 14th century. "In 1388, Richard Crispe was patron of the living of Cockthorp, to which he presented one of the family; another Richard Crispe was buried in Erenze church in 1517." [3] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Robert le Crespe in Oxfordshire; Thomas le Crespe in Somerset; and Gilbert le Crispe in Oxfordshire. [1]

Early History of the Crip family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crip research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1533, 1599, 1600, 1603, 1625, 1628, 1630, 1643, 1666, 1692, 1749 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Crip History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crip Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Crip are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Crip include Crisp, Cripps, Crispin, Crispe, Crisppin, Crispp and many more.

Early Notables of the Crip family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicholas Crisp (1599?-1666), English Royalist, descended from a family possessing estates in Gloucestershire and engaged in trade in London; Ellis Crisp (died 1625), Sheriff of London; Tobias Crisp D.D. (1600-1643), an English clergyman and reputed antinomian; and Sir Nicholas Crispe, 1st Baronet (c.1599-1666), an English Royalist and a wealthy merchant who pioneered the...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crip Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Crip family to Ireland

Some of the Crip family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crip family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Crip, or a variant listed above: Zacharia Crispe, who came to Virginia in 1623; Benjamin Crisp, who arrived at Waterdown, Massachusetts in 1630; Francis Crisp, a servant sent to Virginia in 1659.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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