Show ContentsMcCrosen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the Irish name McCrosen was written as Mac an Chrosain, which is derived from the word cros, which means cross.

Early Origins of the McCrosen family

The surname McCrosen was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat at Ballymacrossan on the border of Leix and Offaly. There they were an off-shoot of the notable Clan O'Moore which was the leading sept of the 'Seven Clans of Leix'. In Gaelic the surname is "Mac an Chrosain," but more frequently seen in the English form "Crosby" or "Crosbie" which was listed as early as the early 1600s. 1

Early History of the McCrosen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCrosen research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1619, 1621, 1638, 1639, 1658, 1689, 1695 and 1762 are included under the topic Early McCrosen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCrosen Spelling Variations

Individual scribes in the Ireland during the Middle Ages would often record a person's name various ways. How the name was recorded depended on what that particular scribe believed the proper spelling for the name pronounced to him was. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the McCrosen family name include Crossan, Crossen, McCrossan, McCrossen, MacCrossan, MacCrossin, MacCrossen, Crossin, MacCrosson, McCrosson, Crosson, McCrosin, McCrosen and many more.

Early Notables of the McCrosen family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Patrick McCrossan, Chief of his Clann; John Crosbie, alias Sean Mac an Chrosáin (died 1621), a bishop of the Church of Ireland; and his sons: Sir Walter Crosbie, 1st Baronet, died 4 Aug 1638; David Crosbie (died 1658), died 1658; Sir John Crosbie...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCrosen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McCrosen migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of McCrosen:

McCrosen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bernard McCrosen, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1846


The McCrosen 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: Indignante invidia florebit justus
Motto Translation: The just man will flourish in spite of envy.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)


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