Croff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Croff is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person with abnormally shaped feet, or a gait resembling that of a crow. 1

Although the Anglo-Saxon surname Croff may sound like a Native American name, it is derived from the Old English words crawe or crawa, which mean crow, and fot, which means foot. However, the Old English phrase crou-fot was also a name for the buttercup. Moreover, the surname Croff may in some cases be derived from the name of the settlement of Crawford, which was in the Scottish county of Lanark. 2

Early Origins of the Croff family

The surname Croff was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat. From their early beginnings, for the next few centuries, the family name also acquired other estates or manors as branches established themselves throughout England. The major conflicts of the eras, such as the War of the Roses, the English Reformation, and the English Civil War sometimes found them to be in opposing camps, with conflicting interests. Although this name may sound like an Indian name to North Americans it has its roots in Suffolk.

Early History of the Croff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croff research. Another 29 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1736, 1817 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Croff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croff Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Croff were recorded, including Crowfoot, Crowfote, Crowfoote, Crowefoot, Crofford, Croford, Croffet, Crofut, Croffut, Crofoot, Croffit, Croffitt and many more.

Early Notables of the Croff family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Croff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croff migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Croff family emigrate to North America:

Croff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mrs. Croff, who arrived in Georgia in 1741 3

Croff migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Croff Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Charles Croff, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)