Craig (English)
Where does "Craig" come from?
The English name 'Craig' was borrowed from Scottish Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'rock'[1]. The Gaelic term traces back through Middle Irish 'crec' and Old Irish 'carrac' to earlier Celtic roots meaning 'hard'[2][3]. It forms a doublet with 'English' 'Carrick'[1].
Open questions
- The Middle Irish form may alternatively derive from a different Proto-Celtic root meaning hard rather than a contracted form of carrac. [2]
Full etymology tree
- Craig (English), 'A surname.'
- borrowed creag (Scottish Gaelic), 'rock, crag'
- inherited crec (Middle Irish)
- derived carrac (Middle Irish), 'rock'
- inherited carrac (Old Irish), 'rock'
- inherited carrecc (Old Welsh), 'stone'
- inherited *karreg (Proto-Brythonic)
- inherited *karrikā (Proto-Celtic)
- inherited *kh₂er- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *karrikā (Proto-Celtic)
- inherited *karreg (Proto-Brythonic)
- inherited carrecc (Old Welsh), 'stone'
- inherited carrac (Old Irish), 'rock'
- derived carrac (Middle Irish), 'rock'
- inherited crec (Middle Irish)
- borrowed creag (Scottish Gaelic), 'rock, crag'
Ancestors
- creag (Scottish Gaelic)
Cognates and doublets
- Carrick (English)
Descendants and derived words
- Ailsa Craig (English)
- Craig County (English)
- Craig Island (English)
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris