Cruss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Cruss is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Cruss was a name used for a brave or fierce person. The surname Cruss is derived from the Old English words "crus" or "cruse" which mean "bold, fierce." 1 Another source claims the word "cruse" means "the merry." 2

Early Origins of the Cruss family

The surname Cruss was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where Nicholas le Cruise was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1213. 1 Later, Nicolas le Cruse was listed in Bedfordshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 2 as was Robert Creuse. Richard de Crues was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Devon in 1214. 1

"Cruse or Cruwys (sometimes modernized as Crews) was the name of a very ancient and distinguished Devonshire family of Netherex, now scantily surviving in the county, as at Ashburton." 3

"According to D'Alton, the Irish family of this surname sprang from a Norman, who, at the Conquest, settled in Cornwall. At the invasion of Ireland under Henry II., a branch accompanied Strongbow, and obtained grants of various estates in the counties of Dublin and Meath." 4

So as to note the Irish connection for the family, we found Sir John Cruys or Cruise (died 1407) a prominent Irish military commander, diplomat and judge. He was a major landowner in County Dublin and County Meath and built Merrion Castle. The family first settled in Cornwall and emigrated to Ireland during the Strongbow invasion. The family acquired many lands, including Cruisetown in County Meath and Naul, where one Robert de Cruys (died 1292) held the lands in the time of King Edward I.

Early History of the Cruss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cruss research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cruss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cruss Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Cruss include Cruise, Cruice, Crouse, Cruse and others.

Early Notables of the Cruss family

More information is included under the topic Early Cruss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cruss family to Ireland

Some of the Cruss family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cruss migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Cruss were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Cruss Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Paul Cruss, who arrived in Frederick County, Maryland in 1763 5

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)