Surname Crickmay - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'C'
Crickmay: What does the surname Crickmay mean?
The surname Crickmay is of English origin and is believed to be derived from a topographical feature or location. The two parts of the surname, "Crick" and "May" could have separate meanings. "Crick" could potentially have origins in the old Celtic word "cruc" which means "hill" or "mound." On the other hand, "May" could represent the month of May, or it could have been derived from the Old English word "maeg" which means "relative" or "kinsman." However, the exact origin and meaning of the name Crickmay is not precisely known and can only be speculated, as is the case with many surnames. This surname is most commonly found in England, particularly in the regions of Dorset and Sussex. It has numerous variants including Crickmore and Creekmore, making its etymology more complex. As with all surnames, it may have evolved over time and could have adapted to linguistic and regional nuances. As such, tracing the definitive nature of its inception could be challenging.
Order DNA origin analysisCrickmay: Where does the name Crickmay come from?
The surname Crickmay is of English origin. It is derived from an Old English pre 7th Century locational surname "Cricmere," for someone who lived by a bend in a river or a boundary. "Cric" means a bend or a boundary, and "mere" means a lake or a pond in Old English. This surname may also have been adopted by someone who lived near a conspicuous boundary marker or sign.
The Crickmay surname is not very common today, and it is sporadically distributed around the world. The most significant concentrations of people with the Crickmay surname are found in South Africa, England, and Australia. Despite its roots in England, the United Kingdom does not hold a significant number of the Crickmay population today. Even though it is an English name, many Crickmays might have migrated during the British colonial period, hence the presence of the name in former British colonies like South Africa and Australia.
Variations of the surname Crickmay
The surname Crickmay is quite unique and there seem to be limited known variants or alternative spellings for this surname. It is likely of English origin, possibly connected to specific geographical locations in the UK. Various records and sources do point to the possibility that misspellings or transcription errors during the documentation process may result in variations or deviations from the original surname. Examples could include Crickmey, Crikmay, or Crickmy, but these are not confirmed variations.
Given the consistent appearance of the element 'Crick' in English surnames (e.g., Crickmore, Crickman), it may be possible that Crickmay developed as a variant of these. Conversely, surnames such as Crickmer may have evolved from Crickmay under certain phonetic and regional spelling conventions.
Also, it is possible for the same surname to take on a different form when the family moves to a non-English speaking country. However, since the name Crickmay is rather uncommon, there isn't much evidence of the Crickmay surname changing in other languages.
The process of tracing surname origins, especially for less common surnames like Crickmay, is a challenging task. It would likely require specialized genealogical and etymological research.
Famous people with the name Crickmay
- Robert Crickmay (1877-1961), an English comic actor and songwriter.
- Commander Russell Crickmay (1872-1945), a Royal Navy chief explosives specialist and inventor of bombs and weapons during World War II.
- Robin Crickmay (1915-2000), a British actor, director and screenwriter.
- Captain Alexander Crickmay (1913-1988), a marine intelligence officer and spy for Britain during World War II.
- Major Marie Marguerite Crickmay (1906-1998), a Canadian aviator and World War II Lancaster pilot.
- Arnold Crickmay, a principal of Theatre Projects Consultants, a London-based theatre advisor.
- Harold Crickmay, a British engraver and illustrator.
- David Crickmay, a British sculptor and illustrator.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Edwin Crickmay (1880-1940), a pilot and commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
- William John Crickmay (1845-1919), a British notable musician and organist.