The CRYMES surname was probably the first variant of the CRYMES/ CRIMES/ CHRYMES/ CHRIMES group to be used, most records in the 16th century being in that name. The CRYMES and CHRYMES surnames have now died out in England, in favour of the CRIMES and CHRIMES variants. The CHRYMES surname survived a little longer in Haverfordwest, South Wales, but has now died out there also. However, there is a significant population of CRYMESs in the southern United States to this day.

Notable amongst the CRYMES are:

Richard CRYMES of Northwich, Cheshire, England who bought the lordship of Buckland Abbey, Devon in 1546, along with Sir Francis DRAKE. Richard settled in Devon and his descendants changed their name to CRIMES. They carried the forename Amos through several generations, including Amos CRIMES who was born in 1729 to parents Francis CRIMES and his wife Honour. This Amos married an Elizabeth at the age of 21, in 1750. Amos followed other Amos`s in the family and became a vicar. His uncle was a vicar and a previous Amos was chaplain in Tangiers, Morocco in 1676. Amos probably thought about the CRIMES name dying out and decided to have a large family: 14 children in all, 7 boys and 7 girls. Some didn`t make it through childhood but poor Elizabeth his wife died at the age of 42, probably of exhaustion!!

William CRYMES born in 1646 at Peckham, London, England who sailed over to the English colony of Virginia and became a wealthy landowner there. His descendants named their slaves with the master's surname so as well as William's true CRYMES descendants there are many black Americans with the name CRYMES or CRIMES. The 1940 United States Federal Census recorded 345 people named CRYMES, mainly in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. By comparison, in the same census there were just 38 people named CHRIMES.