Surname Craycraft - Meaning and Origin
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Craycraft: What does the surname Craycraft mean?
The last name Craycraft is believed to be of English origin and has several possible derivations. One possibility is that it originates from the old English words ‘Cray’ meaning ‘boundary’ or ‘edge’ and ‘croft’ meaning ‘enclosed field’, suggesting the meaning 'belonging to a boundary/enclosed field'.
Alternatively, it may have derived from the combination of the old English personal names ‘Creca’ and ‘Craft’. In this case, the meaning of the name might be ‘belonging to Craft the son of Creca’.
It is also possible that the name originates from the town of Craighcroft, Lewisham, located in South East London, or its close relative, Craigfield in Midlothian, Scotland.
In early records of the name Craycraft, the spelling variations included Crimcresp, Crimcraft, and Creycroft. Today, the name Craycraft is mainly found in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
In summary, the last name Craycraft is believed to have multiple potential derivations, however, the exact meaning of the name remains unclear.
Order DNA origin analysisCraycraft: Where does the name Craycraft come from?
The surname Craycraft is most commonly found in the United States. According to Ancestry.com’s U.S. Public Records Index, the three states with the most Craycrafts are Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, although its records in these states are incomplete. The last name Craycraft is of American origin, derived from an English place name, such as Craycroft, England.
Most Craycrafts living today can trace their ancestry back to the southeast corner of Kentucky. Craycraft families have lived in the area since the mid-1800s. Several genetic studies have linked many individuals who carry the Craycraft surname to the same family patriarch, a farmer believed to have immigrated from England in the early 1700s.
Other states with significant numbers of Craycrafts include West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and California. The Craycraft family is also well-documented in Missouri and Iowa.
As an interesting note, the Craycraft name occasionally appears in other forms, such as Crawcraft and Crawcroft. In some cases, members of the same family migrated to different parts of the country or even different countries, and their surnames mutated over time.
Overall, the Craycraft surname is relatively uncommon today, and appears to be clustered largely in the United States around the Kentucky-Ohio-Indiana area.
Variations of the surname Craycraft
The surname Craycraft is derived from Middle English and Olde English words meaning "wooden pot" or " sharpened stake". Variations of this surname include Craycroft, Craycraftt, Craykraft, Craykrote, Craicarft, Craikraft, Craycoe, Craicoe, Cragcraft and Creake. These variant spellings to the same surname have arisen over time as a result of successive civil, church, or military registrars attempting to capture a variety of pronunciations of the same name in writing.
The earliest occurrence of the Craycraft surname is found in North Yorkshire, England in 1162, when Robert Crakecroft was registered in the Pipe Rolls of that county. Even earlier spellings such as Craycroft and Craycraft are found in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Other historical records indicate that many early Craycrafts may have Dutch, French, or German origins. In the 1700s, John Craycraft left Coventry, England for North America and is believed by some to the first Craycraft to settle in the U.S.
Several diverse branches of Craycrafts are documented throughout the world today. Members of the Craycraft family can be found in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and many other countries.
Due to the common occurrence of regional dialects, many Craycraft family members are likely to be encountered with variant spellings, including Craycroft, Craycraftt, Craykraft, Craykrote, Craicarft, Craikraft, Craycoe, Craicoe, Cragcraft, and Creake.
Famous people with the name Craycraft
- Jimmy Craycraft: American professional golfer and member of the WGC America organization
- Jeremy Craycraft: Professional basketball player and sports analyst
- Brad Craycraft: British singer-songwriter
- James Craycraft: American composer and music producer
- Jack Craycraft: Former American baseball player
- Roger Craycraft: Professional football quarterback
- Rob Craycraft: Chairman of the International Cricket Council
- Eric Craycraft: American businessman and philanthropist
- Julie Craycraft: English actress
- Tim Craycraft: Former professional ice hockey defenseman