Cromer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cromer is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cromer family lived in Kent, where they were Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court.

Early Origins of the Cromer family

The surname Cromer was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court. Today, Tunstall is a village in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.

Looking back at the Domesday Book of 1086, Tunstall was held at the taking of the Domesday Book by Hugh de Port from Bishop Odo of Bayeux as an under tenant. Conjecturally, the surname Cromer is descended from this source. 1

Today Cromer is a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk. "This place, originally of much greater extent, included the town of Shipden, which, with its church and a considerable number of houses, forming a parish, was destroyed by an inundation of the sea in the reign of Henry IV. The town commands a fine view of Cromer Bay, which, from its dangerous navigation, is by seamen called the 'Devil's Throat.'" 2

Later and further to the north Cromar can be found in "Aberdeenshire. There are still many families of the name living in the district. Thomas Cromar was accused of consulting a sorcerer in 1672. " 3

Early History of the Cromer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromer research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1471, 1509, 1522, 1532, 1534, 1543, 1603, 1696, 1704 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Cromer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromer Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cromer include Cromer, Crowmer, Croamer, Croemer, Croomer, Cromar, Cromere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromer family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir James Cromer, Gallant Knight

Cromer Ranking

In the United States, the name Cromer is the 3,423^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Cromer migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Cromers to arrive on North American shores:

Cromer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dennise Cromer, who landed in Virginia in 1705 5
Frederick Cromer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 5
Fredrk Cromer, aged 21, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 5
Friedrich Cromer, who arrived in America in 1738 5
John Wilhelm Cromer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 5

Cromer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catherine Cromer, aged 12, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Cromer (post 1700) +

Kayla Cromer, American actress, known for her work on The Right Eye (2015), Sex Sent Me to the Slammer (2015) and South of Hell (2015)
Ronnie W. Cromer (b. 1947), American politician, Republican member of the South Carolina Senate (2003-)
George Gregory "Greg" Cromer (b. 1958), American politician, Louisiana State Representative from District 90 (2009-)
Gregory M. Cromer Jr. (b. 1971), American actor, known for Bad Words (2013), Spiders II: Breeding Ground (2001) and Are You Here (2013)
D. T. Cromer (b. 1971), former American Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds (2000-2001)
George Washington Cromer (1856-1936), American politician, U.S. Representative from Indiana (1899-1907)
Roy Bunyan "Tripp" Cromer (b. 1967), American Major League Baseball utility player
David Cromer, American theatre director and stage actor
Evelyn Baring Cromer (1841-1917), English colonial administrator
Betsy Cromer Byars (b. 1928), American Edgar Award winning author of children's books

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)