Show ContentsCroder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The family name Croder is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names of Britain. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a person who played a crowd, a stringed instrument similar to a fiddle or six-string violin. This instrument was known as a crouth or croude in Old English, and is still known as a crwth in Wales and as a cruit in Ireland. People in the West of England still refer to a fiddle as a crowdy-kit. 1 Professional musicians of this sort made their livings primarily by playing at medieval fairs and wedding feasts. In Scotland "crowdie" means porridge.

Early Origins of the Croder family

The surname Croder was first found in Kent where it is generally understood that the first record of the name was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 as Richard le Cruder. 2 3 A few years later, Hugo le Crouder was listed in Leicestershire in 1278 and Kenwrick le Cruther was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1289. 3 In Yorkshire, Adam le Crouther was listed in 1296 and Katerina Crowder and Thomas Crouder were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Early History of the Croder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croder research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1646, 1830 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Croder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croder 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 Croder include Crowder, Crowther, Crouder, Crowdder, Crodare, Crowdair, Crowdere, Crowthers, Crouder, Croader, Croather, Crother, Crawther, Craudder, Crauther, Crauder, Craudair, Crothair, Crowthair, Crowthare, Croder, Crouter, Crowter and many more.

Early Notables of the Croder family

More information is included under the topic Early Croder Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Croder family to Ireland

Some of the Croder family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 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 Croder family

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: John Crowther who settled in New Hampshire in 1631; Elizabeth James and Mary Crowthers settled in Richmond, Virginia in 1820; Thomas Crowder who settled in Barbados in 1634 and later transferred to the mainland.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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