Cyrsp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Cyrsp was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old English given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname which means curly-haired. [1] Much of the popularity of the name in the early Middle Ages is a result of the popularity of St. Crispin, who was martyred at Soissons in 285 AD.

Early Origins of the Cyrsp family

The surname Cyrsp was first found in Oxfordshire where they had been granted the lands of Cowley by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The source Old English Bynames lists the name in the Latin form: Benedictus Crispus c.1030 as the first record of the family. Almost two hundred years later, Walter Crips was listed in the source Early London Personal Names as living there c. 1200. [2] Later the family became well established in Norfolk, where they are to this day well known.

In Norfolk, the family goes back at least as far as the 14th century. "In 1388, Richard Crispe was patron of the living of Cockthorp, to which he presented one of the family; another Richard Crispe was buried in Erenze church in 1517." [3] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Robert le Crespe in Oxfordshire; Thomas le Crespe in Somerset; and Gilbert le Crispe in Oxfordshire. [1]

Early History of the Cyrsp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cyrsp research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1533, 1603, 1788, 1749, 1599, 1666, 1625, 1600, 1643, 1599, 1666, 1630, 1628 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Cyrsp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cyrsp Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Crisp, Cripps, Crispin, Crispe, Crisppin, Crispp and many more.

Early Notables of the Cyrsp family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicholas Crisp (1599?-1666), English Royalist, descended from a family possessing estates in Gloucestershire and engaged in trade in London; Ellis Crisp (died 1625), Sheriff of London; Tobias Crisp D.D. (1600-1643), an English clergyman and reputed antinomian; and Sir Nicholas Crispe, 1st Baronet (c.1599-1666), an English Royalist and a wealthy merchant who pioneered the...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cyrsp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cyrsp family to Ireland

Some of the Cyrsp family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cyrsp family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Cyrsp or a variant listed above were: Zacharia Crispe, who came to Virginia in 1623; Benjamin Crisp, who arrived at Waterdown, Massachusetts in 1630; Francis Crisp, a servant sent to Virginia in 1659.

Citations +

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