Show ContentsCrippen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname which means curly-haired. 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 Crippen family

The surname Crippen 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.

One of the first records of the family was Gilber Crispin (d. 1117?), Abbot of Westminster, the grandson of Gilbert Crispin, from whom the Crispin family derived its surname. "The last-named Gilbert Crispin is in the 'Histoire Littéraire' (x. 192) identified with Gilbert, Count of Brionne, the guardian of William I's childhood, and grandson of Duke Richard I of Normandy." 1

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family had scattered: Robert Crispien in Cambridgeshire; Crispianus de Colrigge in Devon; Crispian de Columbers in Lincolnshire; and Robert Crisping in Lincolnshire. Richard Crispine and William filius Crispianin were the two remaining listings in Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Crippen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crippen research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1055, 1066, 1107, 1117, 1149, 1273, 1627, 1681 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Crippen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crippen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Crispin, Chrispin, Crippin, Cripin, Crippen, Crepin, Crespin and many more.

Early Notables of the Crippen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Henry Crispe was a distinguished knight at the time of King Henry VIII; Captain William Cripsin (1627-1681), one of five British Commissioners appointed by William Penn for settling his...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crippen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crippen Ranking

In the United States, the name Crippen is the 8,954th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the Crippen family to Ireland

Some of the Crippen 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.


United States Crippen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crippen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George W Crippen, who arrived in Texas in 1830 4
  • L. W. Crippen, aged 23, arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Berlin" from Southampton, England 5
Crippen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Grace Crippen, aged 31, arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Zeeland" from Antwerp, Belgium 5
  • Ella Crippen, aged 28, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Morro Castle" from Havana, Cuba 5
  • William Crippen, aged 44, arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Merida" from Havana, Cuba 5
  • Ruth Crippen, aged 37, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Bordeaux, France 5
  • John W. Crippen, aged 45, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Bordeaux, France 5

Australia Crippen migration to Australia +

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

Crippen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Brook Crippen, English bricklayer who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Crippen (post 1700) +

  • Dan Crippen (b. 1952), American executive director of the National Governors Association
  • Madelaine Crippen (b. 1980), former American female medley swimmer
  • John Crippen, American photographer and author
  • Bruce D. Crippen, American Republican Party State Senator in the Montana Legislature
  • Teresa Crippen (b. 1990), American college and international swimmer
  • Francis "Fran" Crippen (1984-2010), American long-distance swimmer
  • Robert Laurel Crippen (b. 1937), American engineer, retired United States Navy Captain and a former NASA astronaut
  • Hawley Harvey Crippen (1862-1910), American homeopathic physician
  • Robert L. Crippen (b. 1937), former NASA Astronaut with over 565 hours in space, Pilot of the first shuttle flight 7


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  7. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Robert Crippen. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/crippen-rl.html


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