CROW
The surname Crow is of English origin. It can be characterised as a nickname surname derived from the Old English word crawa, which translates directly to the bird known as the crow.
In the medieval context the use of Crow was either topographic, indicating a person who lived in an area where crows were plentiful, or occupational, implying that the individual was a crow‑catcher. The sobriquet may also have been applied to a person with dark hair or a dark complexion, as the bird is traditionally associated with these traits.
The earliest surviving record of the name is that of Ailwin Crawe in 1180, found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire during the reign of King Henry XI. Further documentation appears in the 1187 Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, where a Nicholas Crowe is listed, and in the Hundred Rolls of Suffolk in 1273, recording a William Creo. A Thomas Crow is also noted in the Records of the Diocese of Dunblane, and he represents the earliest Scottish bearer of the name.
In Ireland the surname Crow (or Crowe) occurs as an Anglicised form of the Gaelic patronymic Mac Enchroe, itself derived from an earlier Mac Conchradha, meaning “son of Conchradha”. The element con refers to a hound, and the family is associated with County Clare, where the motto Skeagh mac en chroe appears on the Coat of Arms.
A notable 18th‑century bearer of the name was Colonel Mitford Crow, a British diplomatic agent who served as governor of Barbados in 1707.
Overall, the surname Crow carries with it connotations of the bird’s perceived intelligence and adaptability, traits that were prized and remembered by medieval society when creating surnames based on observation or occupation.
Typical given names associated with the Crow surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Julia
- Linda
- Louise
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Crow in...
Braille
⠉⠗⠕⠺
Morse
-.-..-.---.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,115 people named Crow in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,847th most common surname in Britain. Around 79 in a million people in Britain are named Crow.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Crow
- Bob Crow - Trade union leader (1961 to 2014)
- Sheryl Crow - American musician and actress
- Danny Crow - Football player
- Angela Crow -
- Alice Garnett or Alice Crow - [married name Crow], Alice (1903 to 1989)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.