Croffs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The origins of the Croffs name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the area that was typically referred to as the croft. This was an area of arable land that was located at or near the farmers cottage. 1 The name originates largely from the northern counties of Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire,

Early Origins of the Croffs family

The surname Croffs was first found in Yarpole, Herefordshire at Croft Castle. This site was home to the family since the 11th century.

Croft can also be found as parishes in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. In the latter, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes del Croft; Willelmus del Croft; and Ricardus de Crofte as all holding lands there at that time. 2

Over in Somerset, Walter in the Crofte was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3

Further to the north, "there are small places of this name in Scotland. Thomas Crofts and David Crofts held land under the Abbey of Aberbrothoc, 1485. Thomas Croftis appears again in 1524." 4

Early History of the Croffs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croffs research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1162, 1424, 1485, 1554, 1590, 1593, 1603, 1611, 1624, 1651, 1653, 1656, 1657, 1658, 1660, 1667, 1677, 1678, 1691, 1720 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Croffs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croffs 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 Croffs were recorded, including Croft, Crofte, Crofts and others.

Early Notables of the Croffs family

Distinguished members of the family include William Croft, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1424; Sir James Croft PC (d. 1590), Lord Deputy of Ireland; Sir Henry Crofts (1590-1667), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1660; John Crofts, an English politician, Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1653 and later in 1656; Anthony Crofts...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Croffs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croffs 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 Croffs family emigrate to North America:

Croffs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edmond Croffs, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 5

The Croffs Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Esse quam videri
Motto Translation: To be, rather than to seem.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)