NameCensus.

UK surname

Creamer

An occupational surname for a person who made or sold cream, or a nickname for a pale person.

In the 1881 census there were 490 people recorded with the Creamer surname, ranking it #6,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 867, ranked #6,471, up from #6,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Milton Bryant, Willesden and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Conwy, Central Bedfordshire and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Creamer is 984 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.9%.

1881 census count

490

Ranked #6,876

Modern count

867

2016, ranked #6,471

Peak year

1998

984 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Creamer had 490 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 867 in 2016, ranked #6,471.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 684 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Creamer surname distribution map

The map shows where the Creamer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Creamer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Creamer over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 304 #7,559
1861 historical 264 #9,385
1881 historical 490 #6,876
1891 historical 573 #6,640
1901 historical 684 #6,394
1911 historical 618 #6,687
1997 modern 923 #5,853
1998 modern 984 #5,747
1999 modern 979 #5,804
2000 modern 962 #5,871
2001 modern 947 #5,837
2002 modern 953 #5,913
2003 modern 916 #5,998
2004 modern 918 #5,993
2005 modern 887 #6,088
2006 modern 875 #6,169
2007 modern 882 #6,186
2008 modern 872 #6,282
2009 modern 894 #6,305
2010 modern 889 #6,452
2011 modern 872 #6,488
2012 modern 858 #6,478
2013 modern 884 #6,435
2014 modern 890 #6,431
2015 modern 881 #6,415
2016 modern 867 #6,471

Geography

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Where Creamers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Milton Bryant, Willesden, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Kettering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Conwy, Central Bedfordshire, County Durham, Harlow and Gwynedd. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Milton Bryant Bedfordshire
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Kettering Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Conwy 012 Conwy
2 Central Bedfordshire 009 Central Bedfordshire
3 County Durham 043 County Durham
4 Harlow 008 Harlow
5 Gwynedd 012 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Creamer

These lists show first names that appear often with the Creamer surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Creamer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Creamer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Creamer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Creamer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Creamer is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Creamer is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Creamer falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Creamer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Creamer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Creamer

The surname Creamer has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "creme" or "creman," which referred to a dairyman or someone involved in the production or sale of cream.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Creamer can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Cremor is listed in Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to those who worked with dairy products.

During the medieval period, the Creamer surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, where dairy farming was a significant industry. In Somerset, records from the 14th century show several entries for individuals with the surname, such as Walter le Cremor (1327) and John Cremer (1379).

In the late 16th century, the surname also appeared in various forms in parish records across England, including Creamer, Cremer, and Crimer. One notable individual was John Creamer, a yeoman from Gloucestershire, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1587.

As time progressed, the Creamer surname spread to other parts of England and beyond. In the 17th century, a number of Creamers emigrated to the American colonies, seeking new opportunities and religious freedom. One of the earliest Creamers in America was Thomas Creamer, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the Creamer surname have achieved notable accomplishments. William Creamer (1795-1860) was a British architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London. John Creamer (1825-1899) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Other notable Creamers include Robert Creamer (1909-1994), an American civil rights activist and author; Benjamin Creamer (1832-1901), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire; and Elizabeth Creamer (1824-1896), an American artist known for her landscape paintings.

While the Creamer surname may have originated from a humble occupation, it has endured through the centuries and spread across the globe, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Creamer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Creamer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Bedfordshire leads with 72 Creamers recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.03x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 72 29.03x
Middlesex 58 1.21x
Norfolk 46 6.25x
Yorkshire 39 0.82x
Lancashire 33 0.58x
Lanarkshire 29 1.87x
Surrey 27 1.16x
Huntingdonshire 25 26.29x
East Lothian 20 31.53x
Hampshire 20 2.04x
Warwickshire 14 1.16x
Renfrewshire 11 2.96x
Hertfordshire 10 3.03x
Midlothian 9 1.40x
Monmouthshire 9 2.60x
Northamptonshire 6 1.33x
Selkirkshire 6 13.85x
Sussex 6 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.65x
Durham 5 0.35x
Essex 5 0.53x
Northumberland 5 0.70x
Cumberland 4 0.97x
Denbighshire 4 2.21x
Lincolnshire 4 0.52x
Angus 3 0.68x
Cheshire 3 0.28x
Derbyshire 2 0.27x
Kent 2 0.12x
Shropshire 2 0.48x
Argyllshire 1 0.75x
Berkshire 1 0.28x
Cornwall 1 0.18x
Dorset 1 0.32x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milton Bryant in Bedfordshire leads with 32 Creamers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8648.65x.

Place Total Index
Milton Bryant 32 8648.65x
Portsea 20 10.40x
Skircoat 17 90.81x
Barony 13 3.32x
Chalgrave 13 909.09x
Bermondsey 11 7.71x
Liverpool 11 3.19x
Aston 10 3.01x
Glasgow 9 3.27x
North Elmham 9 502.79x
Offord D Arcy 9 1578.95x
South Creake 9 538.92x
St Woollos 9 23.29x
Wandsworth 9 19.52x
Dunbar 8 89.99x
Fakenham 8 220.39x
Heath Reach 8 454.55x
Hendon 8 46.43x
Bromley London 7 6.64x
Eynesbury 7 318.18x
Govan 7 1.83x
Haddington 7 74.79x
Toddington 7 196.63x
Wilden 7 958.90x
Brighton 6 3.68x
Chipping Barnet 6 103.99x
Hampstead London 6 8.04x
Islington London 6 1.29x
Kettering 6 32.93x
Melrose 6 55.00x
Renfrew 6 48.94x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 5.54x
Edinburgh Tron Church 5 166.11x
Kensington London 5 1.88x
North Newbald 5 467.29x
Ormesby 5 39.19x
Port Glasgow 5 27.87x
St Pancras London 5 1.30x
Whittinghame 5 476.19x
Willesden 5 11.07x
Acton 4 14.25x
Bedlington 4 16.81x
Birmingham 4 0.99x
East Dereham 4 43.01x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 4 519.48x
Great Yarmouth 4 6.56x
Hammersmith London 4 3.39x
Little Hulton 4 42.51x
Llangollen Llangollen 4 194.17x
Prescot 4 38.91x
Woburn 4 186.05x
Workington 4 16.94x
Billinge Chapel End 3 94.04x
Dundee 3 1.81x
Ealing 3 7.01x
Fen Stanton 3 171.43x
Godmanchester 3 83.33x
Market Weighton Arras 3 97.40x
Newhall In Nantwich 3 256.41x
Offord Cluny 3 638.30x
Paddington London 3 1.70x
South Leith 3 4.16x
Stockton On Tees 3 4.37x
Toxteth Park 3 1.56x
Walthamstow 3 8.82x
West Newton 3 555.56x
Whittlesey St Mary St 3 28.30x
Bridgnorth St Mary 2 49.51x
Bushey 2 25.45x
Cowbit 2 192.31x
Pendleton In Salford 2 2.95x
Shirland 2 35.65x
Southowram 2 13.80x
St Albans 2 29.59x
Walton In Wakefield 2 196.08x
York St Mary 2 10.17x
Caxton 1 107.53x
Croydon 1 0.77x
Lambeth 1 0.24x
Pinchbeck 1 20.37x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Creamer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 34
Sarah 15
Elizabeth 14
Eliza 9
Emma 8
Alice 7
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Margaret 6
Susan 6
Ann 5
Jane 5
Martha 5
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Sophia 4
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Clara 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Laura 3
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Elizath. 2
Esther 2
Harriett 2
Isabel 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Susannah 2
Angelina 1
Beatrice 1
Bridget 1
Carl 1
Eliz. 1
Elizebeth 1
Eunice 1
F. 1
Frances 1
Helena 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margt. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Creamer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 25
George 22
James 22
William 20
Charles 11
Joseph 10
Thomas 8
Henry 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Edward 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Alfred 2
Anguste 2
Edwin 2
Fredrick 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Samuel 2
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizah 1
Ernest 1
Ezra 1
F. 1
Flavel 1
Frank 1
Geroge 1
Hattle 1
Henery 1
Heroan 1
Horatio 1
Josiah 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Martain 1
Matt 1
Michl. 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Rudolph 1

FAQ

Creamer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Creamer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 490 people were recorded with the Creamer surname. That placed it at #6,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Creamer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 867 in 2016. That gives Creamer a modern rank of #6,471.

What does the Creamer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who made or sold cream, or a nickname for a pale person.

What does the Creamer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Creamer bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.