Norcress History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Norcress

What does the name Norcress mean?

The Norcress surname is a habitational name taken on from a place near Blackpool; so named from Old English words "norð," meaning "north," and "cros," meaning "cross," collectively meaning "dweller at the North Cross." 1 2 Another author clarifies: "more specifically, Norcross (spelling the same in the early 16th cent.) [was] near Fleetwood, Lancashire." 3

Early Origins of the Norcress family

The surname Norcress was first found in Lancashire 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. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held a family seat at Alston and Hothersale in that shire.

Early History of the Norcress family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norcress research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Norcress History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norcress Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Norcross, Norcress, Northcross, Norecross and others.

Early Notables of the Norcress family

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

Migration of the Norcress family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jeremiah Norcross, who came to Cambridge, MA in 1642; Nathaniel Norcross, who came to New England in 1643; Richard Norcross, who came to Watertown, MA in 1650.

Sources +

Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print