This surname is derived from an official title. 'the crosier,' one who carried the bishop's cross or pastoral staff. 'Crocere, crociarius': Promptorium Parvulorum Way, commenting on this word, quotes concerning the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury, 'one Syr Edward Gryme, that was his croyser, put for the his arme with the crosse to bere of the stroke': Legenda Aur. (v. the full note, Promptorium Parvulorum).

Simon le Croyser, temp. 1300. Writs of Parliament.

Mabel le Croyser. Calendarium Rotulorum Originalium.

William Croyser. Calendarium Rotulorum Originalium.

Cristiana Croiser, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Croser, 1379: ibid.

John Crosier, Norfolk, 6 Henry V: History of Norfolk.

William Crosier, Norfolk, 46 Edward III: ibid.

1775. Married — Laurence Neilson and Esther Croser: St. George, Hanover Square.

1787. — Samuel Burrows and Alice Crozier: ibid.

Persons of this name were early settlers in Liddesdale, and c. 1376 we find "locus Croyser" in the rent-roll of the lordship (Armstrong, Liddesdale, p. 181, and App., p. iii). William Crosier, professor of philosophy in the newly founded University of St. Andrews, 1410 (Tytler, Hist, of Scot., 4 V ed., II, p. 42). William Croyser, a Scotsman at present in Bruges, in Flanders, to have a safe conduct in England in 1429 (Bain, IV, 1027), is perhaps Master William Croyser, archdeacon of Teviotdale, who had a safe conduct to travel in England in 1433 (ibid., 1062). James Crosare witnessed a declaration dated 1436 (Home, p. 20), and John Crosar witnessed an instrument of sasine of lands and castle of Temptalloune in 1475 (Douglas, III, 106). William Croyser held the parish church of Kyrthgunen (Kirkgunzeon) in 1418, and in 1424 he appears as canon of Dunkeld (Pap. Lett., VII, p. 67,344). In 1526 the duke of Richmond complained of the doings of the Crosaris and others (ALHT., V, p. 318), and a band against Crosars on the Border is recorded in 1569 (RPC., I, p. 652). William Crosar was witness in 1537 (Johnsoun), and John and Thome Crosare were entered before the warden, 1564 (RPC., I, p. 259). The Crosaris are included in the "Roll of the clannis that hes capitanes cheiffis and chiftanes quhome on thai depend oftymes aganis the willis of thair landislordis," 1587. Armstrong (Liddesdale, p. 181) gives the following old spellings of this surname: Singular: Crosair, Crosar, Crosare, Croser, Crosir, Crosore, Ciossar, Crosser, Crossr, Croysar, Croyser, Croyset. Plural: Cossyers, Crosares, Crosaris, Croseers, Crosers, Croseys, Crosiers, Crosrs, Crosyers, Crosseres, Croysaris, Croysiers, Croyssyers, Croziers, Cwsers, Grosars, Grossars.

(Anglo-French-Latin) Bishop’s Staff- or Crosier-Bearer [Middle English croser, crocer(e, Old French crocier, Low Latin crociari-us]

A crosier is a bishop's staff, fashioned like a shepherd's crook, symbolical of his spiritual pastorate-but this is an unlikely origin for the name, which is more probably derived from the old French croiseur, one who stamps or marks anything with a cross, or perhaps from croise, one who has designated himself with the Christian symbol-a Crusader.

A bishop's staff, with a cross on the top in the form of a crutch or T. A sign over a shop.

From Croiseur (Lower), probably of the same origin as le Crochere. See Croaker.

The Croziers, now rarely represented, belonged to an old border clan seated at Liddisdale, Roxburghshire, in the 16th century (D.).