Crabtree
A habitational surname meaning “at the crab-apple tree” or “by the crab-apple trees.”
The #1,354 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,828 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Crabtree is an English habitational surname formed from Old English words for “crab-apple” and “tree.” In origin, it would have described someone who lived by a notable crab-apple tree or near a place marked by such trees. Nineteenth-century surname writers grouped it with names like Appletree and Cherry, treating it as a straightforward local-by-landmark name.
History
The surname is well attested in England and was later carried to North America, where it became more common than it ever was in its original English homeland. Historical name books also place it among a broader set of English surnames derived from trees, orchards, and other local features. Modern bearers are found especially in the United States and England.
Origin
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Fun fact
Tree-based surnames like Crabtree often began as simple descriptions of where a family lived rather than as references to any family occupation or character.
From the historical record
“out prefix. CRABTREE. Probably belongs to the same category as Appletree, which see. CRACE. Fr. gras^ from Lat. a-assus, O. Eng. crasse. Fat. CRACKi^LN'THORPE. See Crakcn- thorpe. CRACROFT. The fxmily were lords of the manor of Cracroft, co. Lincoln, in 1284. B.L.G.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom