Crookston

This very interesting and rare surname is of Scottish locational origin from "Crookston", in Renfrewshire containing the ruins of Crookston Castle, which is composed of the elements "Croc" or "Krok", a personal name of Old English or Old Norse origin, plus the Old English element "-tun", village, settlement. Often placenames were given to people to distinguish them from others, hence they were a major influence in surname formation. In some instances, the name may derive from "the son of Crook", from the Old Norse byname "Krokr", bend, denoting a hunchback or cripple hence "Crookson". Crook may also be a topographical name for a person who lived by a bend in a river or a metonymic occupational name for a maker of hooks, from the Old Norse "krokr", bend. On August 9th 1626, Elizabeth Mabbot married one Henry Crookson at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, London, while Ann Banfield married Alexander Crookstone at St. Katherine by the Tower, London on February 19th 1693. At Edinburgh, Elspeth Grey married Will Crookston on June 16th 1775, while here also on May 18th 1787, Mary Crookston married William Hogg. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Crookson, which was dated January 1589, St. Margaret's, Westminster, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.