Show ContentsCrowfoote History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Crowfoote is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a person with abnormally shaped feet, or a gait resembling that of a crow. 1

Although the Anglo-Saxon surname Crowfoote 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 Crowfoote 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 Crowfoote family

The surname Crowfoote 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 Crowfoote family

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

Crowfoote Spelling Variations

Crowfoote has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Crowfoote have been found, including Crowfoot, Crowfote, Crowfoote, Crowefoot, Crofford, Croford, Croffet, Crofut, Croffut, Crofoot, Croffit, Croffitt and many more.

Early Notables of the Crowfoote family

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

Migration of the Crowfoote family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Crowfootes to arrive on North American shores: Elizab Crofford, who arrived in Virginia in 1652; Anne Crofford, who settled in Virginia in 1728; Elizabeth Crofford, who came to Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1768.



  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)


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