NameCensus.

UK surname

Crease

A surname of English origin referring to a wrinkle or fold in cloth or skin.

In the 1881 census there were 423 people recorded with the Crease surname, ranking it #7,657 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 401, ranked #11,857, down from #7,657 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Mid Devon and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crease is 572 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.2%.

1881 census count

423

Ranked #7,657

Modern count

401

2016, ranked #11,857

Peak year

1901

572 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crease had 423 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,657 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016, ranked #11,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 572 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Crease surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crease surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crease 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 320 #7,250
1861 historical 312 #8,127
1881 historical 423 #7,657
1891 historical 462 #7,917
1901 historical 572 #7,333
1911 historical 496 #7,867
1997 modern 437 #10,299
1998 modern 444 #10,513
1999 modern 453 #10,400
2000 modern 441 #10,611
2001 modern 433 #10,561
2002 modern 431 #10,820
2003 modern 410 #11,061
2004 modern 414 #11,005
2005 modern 391 #11,378
2006 modern 389 #11,476
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 385 #11,828
2009 modern 405 #11,616
2010 modern 426 #11,396
2011 modern 423 #11,333
2012 modern 406 #11,606
2013 modern 405 #11,813
2014 modern 408 #11,830
2015 modern 400 #11,909
2016 modern 401 #11,857

Geography

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Where Creases are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, St Leonard Shoreditch, Edinburgh and Clevedon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Mid Devon, Tendring, Mendip and Chelmsford. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Clevedon Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 011 Wealden
2 Mid Devon 001 Mid Devon
3 Tendring 017 Tendring
4 Mendip 011 Mendip
5 Chelmsford 020 Chelmsford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crease

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crease

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crease, 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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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, Crease 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

Crease is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crease falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crease is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Crease

The surname Crease is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have originated from the Old English word "cressa," which means "cress," a type of edible plant that grows near water sources.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Crease can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a person named John atte Cresse was listed. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with cress plants.

During the 15th century, the surname Crease began to appear in various historical records across England, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1428, where a William Cresse was documented in Worcestershire. Additionally, the Hearth Tax records of 1673 mention a John Crease in Warwickshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Crease was Sir Edward Crease (1600-1677), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire. Another prominent figure was Edward Crease (1730-1813), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, a few individuals with the surname Crease gained recognition. Robert Crease (1805-1879) was an English-born Canadian lawyer and judge who served as the first Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Henry Robinson Crease (1824-1905) was a British lawyer and judge who served as the second Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

The surname Crease has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Cressage, a village in Shropshire, and Cresswell, a village in Northumberland. These place names may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname in their respective regions.

Throughout history, the surname Crease has been spelled in various ways, including Cresse, Cressey, Cressie, and Cressy, reflecting the phonetic variations and regional influences on the name's spelling over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crease families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crease 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. Middlesex leads with 114 Creases recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 114 2.76x
Somerset 97 14.60x
Gloucestershire 39 4.82x
Devon 26 3.03x
Hampshire 23 2.72x
Lanarkshire 22 1.65x
Midlothian 19 3.44x
Surrey 17 0.85x
Kent 11 0.78x
Northumberland 9 1.47x
Essex 7 0.86x
Lancashire 7 0.14x
Monmouthshire 6 2.01x
Durham 4 0.33x
Worcestershire 3 0.56x
Yorkshire 3 0.07x
Herefordshire 2 1.18x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.26x
Berkshire 1 0.32x
Berwickshire 1 2.00x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.40x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.58x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Clackmannanshire 1 2.93x
Cornwall 1 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.18x
Ross-shire 1 0.88x
Roxburghshire 1 1.34x
Stirlingshire 1 0.66x
Sussex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 44 Creases recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.55x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 44 24.55x
Clevedon 24 347.32x
Govan 17 5.15x
Shoreditch London 17 9.50x
Bristol St George 13 34.73x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 5.85x
Taunton St Mary 12 98.44x
Bedminster 11 17.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 14.44x
Clerkenwell London 10 10.27x
Uffculme 9 351.56x
St Pancras London 8 2.41x
Westgate 8 21.04x
Alverstoke 7 22.87x
Wedmore 7 162.04x
Westminster St James 7 16.50x
Newent 6 145.99x
Southampton Holy Rood 6 705.88x
Southampton St Mary 6 11.28x
Yatton 6 232.56x
Everton 5 3.20x
Glasgow 5 2.11x
Lambeth 5 1.39x
Little Ilford 5 354.61x
North Curry 5 221.24x
Portishead 5 101.21x
Streatham 5 16.33x
Tiverton 5 33.81x
Clifton 4 9.78x
Mile End Old Town London 4 4.55x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 4 68.49x
Staplegrove 4 493.83x
Stoke 4 42.15x
Westbury 4 470.59x
Westoe 4 5.75x
Batheaston 3 132.16x
Christchurch 3 32.50x
Frome 3 18.88x
Hackney London 3 1.30x
Longhope 3 218.98x
Powick 3 80.43x
St Woollos 3 9.01x
Tonbridge 3 5.91x
Warblington 3 89.55x
Bow London 2 3.81x
Chiswick 2 8.87x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.84x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 15.29x
Hartland 2 74.91x
Keynsham 2 41.93x
Lee 2 9.78x
Pixley 2 1428.57x
Richmond 2 7.10x
Shipham 2 344.83x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 11.20x
St George Martyr London 2 23.92x
St Gilesin Fields London 2 57.31x
Tormoham 2 5.50x
Wellington 2 22.20x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 2 37.38x
Wincanton 2 58.48x
Almondsbury 1 32.36x
Bray 1 10.99x
Bridlington 1 10.68x
Chirton 1 7.20x
Croydon 1 0.90x
Dingwall 1 31.35x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 8.72x
Edinburgh Tron Church 1 38.61x
Great Amwell 1 35.09x
Islington London 1 0.25x
Kelso 1 13.42x
Kensington London 1 0.44x
Leyton Low 1 6.04x
Llandingat 1 25.32x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 13.89x
Paddington London 1 0.66x
Portsea 1 0.60x
Wells St Cuthbert 1 22.08x
Womenswould 1 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 14
Emma 11
Alice 9
Ann 9
Jane 7
Caroline 6
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Maria 5
Ellen 4
Louisa 4
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Susan 3
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Eva 2
Isabella 2
Issabella 2
Janet 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Margret 2
Phoebe 2
Aleis 1
Alma 1
Amy 1
Arabella 1
Avice 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Fannie 1
Florence 1
Georgiana 1
Henrietta 1
Infant 1
Isabel 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
M. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 22
William 21
John 19
Henry 17
Thomas 10
Charles 7
Edward 6
George 6
Alfred 4
Cornelius 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Douglas 2
Frederick 2
H. 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Ambrose 1
Archd. 1
Benjamin 1
D. 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Freddy 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Gregory 1
Hy.Saml. 1
J. 1
Lewis 1
Marcus 1
Matthew 1
Miller 1
Oliver 1
Phillip 1
Robt. 1
Sandy 1
Silvester 1
W. 1
Walsingham 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Crease surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crease surname in 1881?

In 1881, 423 people were recorded with the Crease surname. That placed it at #7,657 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crease surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016. That gives Crease a modern rank of #11,857.

What does the Crease surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to a wrinkle or fold in cloth or skin.

What does the Crease map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Crease 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.