Craven History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Craven

What does the name Craven mean?

The ancient history of the Craven name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided at Craven, a district in North Yorkshire which traces back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Crave. 1 Craven is thought to come from an old Brythonic word, a precursor of the Welsh word "craf" or "garlic." 2

Early Origins of the Craven family

The surname Craven was first found in North Yorkshire (West Riding) at Craven where "the surname has for centuries been very strongly represented. " 3

One of the first records of the name was found here, specifically John de Crauene who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1166. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed the following: Agnes de Craven; Johannes de Crauen; and Roger de Craven. Robert de Craven was rector of Bolton-juxta-Bowland in 1304. 3

Some of the family were also found at Great Washbourn in Gloucestershire. "It comprises 650 acres, the whole, with the exception of about 100 acres, the property of the Craven family." 5

And another branch was found at Winwick in Northamptonshire. "The church is in the early English style, with a tower, and contains some handsome monuments of the Craven family. Some remains of an old mansion in the parish have been converted into a farmhouse." 5

The Irish McRaven variant is actually an Anglicization of the Irish name Mac Crabhain and was found chiefly in Louth-Monaghan. 6

Early History of the Craven family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Craven research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1332, 1585, 1608, 1610, 1618, 1623, 1636, 1664, 1668, 1697, 1702, 1711, 1770 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Craven History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craven Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Craven include Craven, Cravene, Cravin, Cravine, Craevin and many more.

Early Notables of the Craven family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir William Craven (c. 1585-1618), an English merchant, Lord Mayor of London in 1610 (perhaps 1618.) Some people believe that the story of Dick Whittington is based on Craven's career, and he is somet...
William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608-1697), was an English nobleman and soldier. He was the eldest son of Sir William Craven. William Craven the younger was entered as commoner of Trinity College...
His grandson, William Craven, 2nd Baron Craven (1668-1711), was an English nobleman and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (1702-1711.)

Craven Ranking

In the United States, the name Craven is the 2,278^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 7 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Craven is ranked the 947^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,358 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Craven family to Ireland

Some of the Craven family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craven migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Craven or a variant listed above:

Craven Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Craven who settled in Virginia in the year 1626 and received 150 acres by patent
Thomas Craven, aged 17, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 9
James Craven, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 9
Tho Craven, who landed in Virginia in 1642 9
Susan Craven who settled in the same Colony in the year 1655
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Craven Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Craven, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 9

Craven Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Craven, aged 25, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 9
John Craven, aged 25, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805 9
William P Craven, aged 26, who arrived in Tennessee in 1812 9
John Craven, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 9
Richard Craven, who landed in New York in 1831 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Craven Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Edith Craven, (b. 1878), aged 27, Cornish housekeeper travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th April 1905 en route to Arlington, New Jersey, USA 10

Craven migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Craven Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bridget Craven, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834
Bridget Craven, aged 17, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Breeze" from Dublin, Ireland

Craven migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Craven Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Craven, British convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for life for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he was executed in 1826 11
James Craven, a slater, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Samuel Craven who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. William Craven who was convicted in Leeds, Yorkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. James Craven, British Convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14

Craven migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Craven Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Craven, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Thomas Craven, aged 30, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
John Craven, aged 30, a joiner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879
Alice Craven, aged 29, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879
Sarah Craven, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Craven (post 1700) +

Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven (1939-2015), American multiple award winning horror movie director and screenwriter, best known for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), New Nightmare (1994) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Margaret Craven (1901-1980), American author
Richard Allen "Ricky" Craven (b. 1966), ESPN broadcaster and former NASCAR driver who won in four different series
Braxton Craven (1822-1882), American educator, 1st president of Duke University (1849-1882)
Avery Odelle Craven (1886-1980), prominent American historian
James J. Craven Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1964 15
James E. Craven, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 6th District, 1922 15
Harold V. Craven, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 10th District, 1958 15
Gene Craven, American Republican politician, Candidate for Kentucky State House of Representatives 79th District, 1973 15
Darius Craven (b. 1920), American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Upshur County, 1958-60; Appointed 1958 15
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Craven family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Douglas Craven, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 16

HMS Royal Oak

Arthur Craven (d. 1939), British Telegraphist with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 17

The Craven 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: Virtus in actione consistit
Motto Translation: Virtue consists in action.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html