Show ContentsMcCrossan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the McCrossan family

The surname McCrossan 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 McCrossan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCrossan 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 McCrossan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCrossan Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a standardized literary language known by the general population of Ireland was a thing of fiction. When a person's name was recorded by one of the few literate scribes, it was up that particular scribe to decide how to spell an individual's name. So a person could have several spelling variations of his name recorded during a single lifetime. Research into the name McCrossan revealed many variations, including Crossan, Crossen, McCrossan, McCrossen, MacCrossan, MacCrossin, MacCrossen, Crossin, MacCrosson, McCrosson, Crosson, McCrosin, McCrosen and many more.

Early Notables of the McCrossan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Patrick McCrossan, Chief of his Clann


United States McCrossan migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish left in their homeland in the 18th and 19th centuries to escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, and in the search of a plot of land to call their own. These immigrants arrived at the eastern shores of North America, early on settling and breaking the land, and, later, building the bridges, canals, and railroads essential to the emerging nations of United States and Canada. Many others would toil for low wages in the dangerous factories of the day. Although there had been a steady migration of Irish to North America over these years, the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McCrossan or a variant listed above:

McCrossan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James McCrossan, who arrived in America in 1805 2
  • Charles, David, James, Stephen McCrossan, who arrived in Philadelphia from 1850-1864

Canada McCrossan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCrossan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James McCrossan, aged 24, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
  • John McCrossan, aged 19, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
  • William McCrossan, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
  • Richard McCrossan, aged 10, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838

Contemporary Notables of the name McCrossan (post 1700) +

  • Anthony McCrossan, British sports commentator
  • William Paul Joseph McCrossan (b. 1942), Canadian politician, member of the Canadian House of Parliament in the late 1970s and early 1980s


The McCrossan 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)
  2. 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)


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