Cruser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Cruser

What does the name Cruser mean?

The name Cruser comes from a name for a brave or fierce person. The surname Cruser is derived from the Old English words "crus" or "cruse" which mean "bold, fierce." 1 Another source claims the word "cruse" means "the merry." 2

Early Origins of the Cruser family

The surname Cruser was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where Nicholas le Cruise was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1213. 1 Later, Nicolas le Cruse was listed in Bedfordshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 2 as was Robert Creuse. Richard de Crues was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Devon in 1214. 1

"Cruse or Cruwys (sometimes modernized as Crews) was the name of a very ancient and distinguished Devonshire family of Netherex, now scantily surviving in the county, as at Ashburton." 3

"According to D'Alton, the Irish family of this surname sprang from a Norman, who, at the Conquest, settled in Cornwall. At the invasion of Ireland under Henry II., a branch accompanied Strongbow, and obtained grants of various estates in the counties of Dublin and Meath." 4

So as to note the Irish connection for the family, we found Sir John Cruys or Cruise (died 1407) a prominent Irish military commander, diplomat and judge. He was a major landowner in County Dublin and County Meath and built Merrion Castle. The family first settled in Cornwall and emigrated to Ireland during the Strongbow invasion. The family acquired many lands, including Cruisetown in County Meath and Naul, where one Robert de Cruys (died 1292) held the lands in the time of King Edward I.

Early History of the Cruser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cruser research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cruser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cruser 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 Cruser include Cruise, Cruice, Crouse, Cruse and others.

Early Notables of the Cruser family

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

Migration of the Cruser family to Ireland

Some of the Cruser family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cruser family

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 Cruser or a variant listed above: James, John, Patrick, and William Cruice all settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865; Edward, Patrick, Peter, and Thomas Cruise settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865..

Contemporary Notables of the name Cruser (post 1700) +

William Cruser, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Somerset County, 1830-31, 1835 5

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html