Show ContentsCruso History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Cruso family

The surname Cruso was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. The Huguenots refugees arrived from 1580. The family name was first referenced about the year 1590 when John and Anthony Cruso arrived in Norwich from Hownescourt in Flanders.

Early History of the Cruso family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cruso research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1476, 1487, 1510, 1595, 1600, 1632, 1635, 1639, 1655, 1656, 1681, 1697 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Cruso History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cruso Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cruso, Crusoe, Caruso and others.

Early Notables of the Cruso family

Notable in the family at this time was

  • John Cruso (ca. 1595-1655), a writer on military matters before the English Civil War, a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the war
  • John Cruso (d. 1681), was an English civilian, matriculated at Cambridge as a sizar of Caius College 5 July 1632, proceeded B.A. in 1635-6, was elected a fellow of his college, and commenced M.A. in 1...
  • Timothy Cruso (1656?-1697), was an English Presbyterian minister, was probably born about the middle of 1656. His family resided at Newington Green, Middlesex; he had a brother, Nathaniel. 1

Migration of the Cruso family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..


Contemporary Notables of the name Cruso (post 1700) +

  • Philip Cruso, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Price and Taylor counties, 1902 2


The Cruso 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: Virtus nobilitat
Motto Translation: Virtue ennobles.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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