Crisp
A shortened form of Crispin, a medieval given name that later became a surname.
The #2,830 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,232 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a shortened form of the personal name Crispin, which comes from Latin Crispinus, itself from crispus, meaning “curly-haired” or “curly.” In medieval England, the given name Crispin was used enough to generate hereditary surnames, and Crisp is commonly treated as an abbreviated, clipped form of it. Some older writers also linked related forms such as Cripps and Cripps to similar shortening or spelling shifts.
History
The name is recorded in English sources in several related spellings, including Chrisp and Cripps, which older surname dictionaries treat as variants or transposed forms. Crisp remained less common than the fuller Crispin, but it survived as a distinct surname in England and later spread to other English-speaking countries. The medieval saint Crispin, associated with shoemakers, helped keep the underlying personal name recognizable.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The root of Crisp ultimately means “curly-haired,” so the surname began as a nickname-like personal name before becoming hereditary.
From the historical record
“common. CRISP. The curt or abbreviated form of Crispin. CRISPIN. Grimaldus I., prince of iSIo- naco, married Crispiua, daughter of Eollo, duke of Normandy, and had, besides other children, Crispinus, baron of Bee, who flourished about the year 1000. The next in succession assumed the paternal name by way of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom