Moncrief
A Scottish surname from the old place-name Moncreiffe, in Perthshire, later used by the local landowning family.
The #7,171 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,183 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Moncrief is a habitational surname from Moncreiffe in Perthshire, Scotland. The place-name is generally taken to be of Gaelic origin, though the precise older elements are not certain in the historical sources used here. Like many Scottish surnames, it was adopted by people identified with the lands they held, so the family name ultimately points back to the estate rather than to a trade or personal nickname.
History
The name appears in medieval Scottish records in forms such as de Moncrief, showing its early use as a territorial surname. The Moncrieff family became prominent landowners in Perthshire, and the spelling has remained variable over time, with Moncrief and Moncreiff both found. In later centuries the surname spread beyond Scotland through migration, especially to English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Moncrieff family was important enough that its name appears in records linked to the Ragman Roll of 1296 and later baronial and baronetical grants.
From the historical record
“robe to Alexander I. In the Ragman Roll, among those who ewore fealty to Edward I. in 1296, is mentioned Johannes de Moncrief, chevalier. A charter of the barony of Moncreiff was granted in 1495 to Sir John Moncreiff, whose great- grandson, Sir John Moncreiff of Moncreiff, was created a bar- onet of Nova Scotia…”
— The Scottish Nation, vol. 3