The Scottish surname CRAIG is derived from the Middle English Gaelic word  creag, crag, carraig, or gragg meaning “rocky hill”. It describes hazardous, steep, rugged rock which marked the terrain where a man lived. In Scotland, many forts were built on massive rock outcroppings, and the surname CRAIG was often used to refer to the people who established or occupied these rocky fortifications.  

CRAIG COAT OF ARMS, MOTTO, CREST
The Craig coat of arms is depicted in black, white and silver. The black spots on white, or ermine, originates from the regal fur which signifies royalty and aristocracy. The celestial crescents are silver and appear on a black background. These half moon shapes are associated with faith and hope.”
Members of Clan Craig may wear a crest badge containing the crest of a chevalier on horseback in full charge grasping a broken lance in bend Proper, with the Latin motto VIVE DEO ET VIVES meaning "live for God and you shall have life". The heraldry within the crest badge is taken from the arms of Craig of Riccarton.
           CLAN RECOGNITION
The Craig clan does not have a chief recognized by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law. Clan Craig is considered an armigerous clan, meaning that it is considered to have had at one time a chief who possessed the chiefly arms, however no one at present is in possession of such arms. The Clan Craig Association of America, however, is recognized by the Lord Lyon and is the official representative of the Clan until a chief can be found.

EARLY CRAIGS
The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Craig. 
The Craigs were prominent in Scotland in many parts of the country, so it is assumed the name must have originated from more than one locality. Although first found in Aberdeen (part of the modern Grampian region), the Craigs became especially common in Edinburgh in the 15th and 16th centuries. Other forms of the name show spellings of Creag, Craigh and Craik. In Aberdeen, the Craig clan was frequently associated with the Gordons. Clan Craig records appeared in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire to the south about 1180.

The earliest records list a John de Crag (John of the Craig or Johannes Del Crag), of Aberdeen.  John of the Craig made his place in Scottish history in 1335 by dramatically leading his band of 300 in the Battle of Culblean. It is believed that this John was Laird of the Craig of Auchindoir - the estate next to the Den of Craig in the Parish of Auchindoir. John was a witness to a charter by William the Lion. 
Later, Robertus de Crag witnessed a charter by Alexander II.

During the 15th century there were three families that styled themselves "of that Ilk" (meaning that the name of the family is the same as that of the place they come from i.e. Craig of Craig). The Craigs of Craigfintry - later Riccarton - became the most noted family.
Thomas Craig of Riccarton 1538-1608, lawyer and writer, was descended from William Craig of Craigfintry  (later Craigston) in Aberdeenshire, who was born in the last half of the 15th century. William Craig's second son (also named William Craig of Craigfintry) fought against the English at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513, where he was slain. The last lineal descendant of the Craigs of Riccarton was Robert Craig of Riccarton who died in 1823 leaving no heirs. The estate of Riccarton passed to Mr. James Gibson who assumed the name and arms of Craig, changing his name to James Gibson-Craig.
Other Craigs were noted Scottish land owners who played important roles in developing and maintaining the spirit of clanship in Scotland. With great pride of race and tradition, they gloried in the love of their land.

On the1794 roster of  98th Argyllshire Scottish Highlanders, two Craigs are listed as Privates: Robert and John. The bodyguards were the pick of the warriors and accompanied the chief on all ceremonial occasions.  

In the year 1796, there was a man by the name of Joseph Craig, living in County Down. He was a flax grower by livelihood.  This Joseph is very possibly  a relative.

A PERSON OF INTEREST! Here is a very possible ancestor. He was a Catholic friar by the name of JOHN CRAIG. John lived during the 1400’s probably in Edinburgh Scotland. When the Reformation Movement began, many of the friars left the Vatican in Rome to follow Protestantism, although the Pope had forbidden any to leave. John however had friends  who helped him escape Edinburgh so that he could pursue his new beliefs.
John settled in County Antrim, right next to County Down. He became a Presbyterian minister, married and had children. John’s many descendants were settled there for many generations. These facts make John Craig well worth looking into, as our Craigs were Presbyterians, and also hailed from County Down.
In the Edinburgh archive on the main street past the castle, are some of John Craig’s papers.