William J. Watson rejected a derivation from kraka fjall on the grounds that it would develop into a form like Crackel. Geoffery Barrow suggested that Criffel incorporates the name Cro, which also appears in Desnes Cro, the name of a deanery located between the rivers Nith and Urr. Here Cro represents the Gaelic word for sheepfold.
The name Criffel was rejected by William J. Watson because it could evolve into Crackel, prompting an alternative suggestion that Criffel might be derived from the Gaelic term "Cro," which is also found in Desnes Cro, a deanery situated between the Nith and Urr rivers.