This is an East Anglian name which can be both medieval English and French Huguenot. In both cases the origin is Germanic and derives from the pre 7th Century "Crampf" or "Krampf" which means literally "curved or hooked". This may be a nickname description for one who stoops or it may be a metonymic for a maker of curved tools or instruments. To further complicate the origin the name may be a diminutive implying "son of Crampf" or a direct development of the French medieval "Crampon" again a maker of ice skates or steel grips. As a Huguenot surname the first recording is early. Jacques Crampon and his wife Susanne being registered as witnesses at the French Huguenot Church, Threadneedle street, London on April 25th 1602. In Essex the name spellings include Crampan and Crampoin in 1678, Crampen in 1700 whilst on January 5th 1680, Joanna Crampin, the daughter of James Crampin was christened at Margaret Roding church. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Edward Crampan, which was dated February 16th 1583, christened at Epping, Essex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st, "Good Queen Bess", 1558-1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.