Crofton Family History

English: habitational name from any of various places called Crofton for example in Cumbria, Greater London (formerly in Kent), Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, and Yorkshire. Most of these are named from Old English croft ‘paddock, vegetable garden’ + tūn ‘enclosure, settlement’.

However, the one in Greater London probably has as its first element Old English cropp ‘swelling, mound’ (compare Cropper).

In Lincolnshire, the origin is from Old English croh ‘saffron’ (from Latin crocus).

The etymology of these place names reflects the geographical and historical significance of the areas they represent.

Understanding the roots of such names provides insight into the cultural and agricultural practices of the past.