English
The surname Crawford has existed for centuries in England, Ireland and Scotland. There are several places bearing this name, for instance in Dorset and Lancshire (England), and Strathclyde (Scotland). The ravages of time are the worst enemies of written documents; while the stone that was used to construct castles, towers and other structures often assured that these precious monuments were to survive to the present day, The etymological origin of the surname Crawford can be found in the words "ÒE Crawa", (Crow) and "ford", (Ford). There are a number of persons bearing the surname Crawford to whom references can be found in old, now priceless scrolls. The following list contains four of these distinguished individuals, along with the years in which their names were inscribed: John de Crauford (1147-60); Galfridus de Crauford (between 1188 and 1202); Galfridus de Krauford (1219), and Helya de Craufurd (1203). The coat of arms displayed on this page was that of one branch of the Crawford family; it was used by John de Crauford. Centuries ago, many families displayed mottoes - concise phrases which might express anything from a pun on the name to a religious or philosophical guiding principle - on scrolls, or below their coat of arms. The motto used by one branch of the Crawford family was "Sine Labe Lucebit": (He shall shine unblemished). Probably one of the first individuals bearing the surname Crawford to emigrate to America was a certain Andrew Crawford, who at age 23 sailed from Yorkshire (England) to the port of "hull" on a ship named "Two Friends" in the year 1774. There are more than 149,480 persons bearing this name in the United States of America.