Crispen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

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 Crispen family

The surname Crispen 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 Crispen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crispen 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 Crispen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crispen Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Crispen were recorded, including Crispin, Chrispin, Crippin, Cripin, Crippen, Crepin, Crespin and many more.

Early Notables of the Crispen 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 Crispen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crispen family to Ireland

Some of the Crispen 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.

Crispen migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Crispen arrived in North America very early:

Crispen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Crispen, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 3

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)