NameCensus.

UK surname

Cree

An indigenous Canadian tribe or a person of such descent.

In the 1881 census there were 895 people recorded with the Cree surname, ranking it #4,253 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,461, ranked #4,215, up from #4,253 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Altonhill North and Onthank, Bellfield and Kirkstyle and Whitfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cree is 1,467 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.2%.

1881 census count

895

Ranked #4,253

Modern count

1,461

2016, ranked #4,215

Peak year

2014

1,467 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cree had 895 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,253 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,461 in 2016, ranked #4,215.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,105 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cree surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cree surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cree 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 538 #4,683
1861 historical 589 #4,487
1881 historical 895 #4,253
1891 historical 960 #4,307
1901 historical 1,105 #4,368
1911 historical 616 #6,702
1997 modern 1,400 #4,141
1998 modern 1,426 #4,213
1999 modern 1,417 #4,263
2000 modern 1,429 #4,222
2001 modern 1,363 #4,295
2002 modern 1,411 #4,272
2003 modern 1,377 #4,274
2004 modern 1,388 #4,255
2005 modern 1,386 #4,219
2006 modern 1,374 #4,262
2007 modern 1,378 #4,281
2008 modern 1,391 #4,277
2009 modern 1,438 #4,243
2010 modern 1,459 #4,274
2011 modern 1,426 #4,305
2012 modern 1,420 #4,257
2013 modern 1,445 #4,265
2014 modern 1,467 #4,245
2015 modern 1,444 #4,254
2016 modern 1,461 #4,215

Geography

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Where Crees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Altonhill North and Onthank, Bellfield and Kirkstyle, Whitfield, Altonhill South, Longpark and Hillhead and Southcraig and Beansburn. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Altonhill North and Onthank East Ayrshire
2 Bellfield and Kirkstyle East Ayrshire
3 Whitfield Dundee City
4 Altonhill South, Longpark and Hillhead East Ayrshire
5 Southcraig and Beansburn East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cree

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cree

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cree surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cree household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cree is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cree is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cree falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cree 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 Cree, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cree

The surname Cree is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cræft," meaning "skill" or "craft." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as an occupational surname for a skilled craftsman or artisan.

The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire in the West Midlands region of England. Early recordings of the name include John le Cree, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1283, and William Cree, who appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327.

Cree is also found in various place names across England, such as Cree St. Mary and Cree St. Peter in Suffolk, and Cree in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "crič," meaning "creek" or "small stream," suggesting that some instances of the surname may have originated from these locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cree is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cræft." This entry suggests that the surname may have existed even before the 12th century, although it was likely rare at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Cree throughout history include:

1. John Cree (c. 1640-1720), an English minister and academic who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 2. George Cree (1772-1839), a Scottish-born American surveyor and cartographer known for mapping parts of the American West. 3. Sir Walter Cree (1857-1932), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the field of electrical engineering. 4. Mary Cree (1888-1976), a Scottish artist and painter known for her landscape and still-life works. 5. George Lash Cree (1892-1980), an American writer and journalist who covered World War I and World War II for various newspapers.

While the surname Cree is not as common today as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is deeply rooted in the English language and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cree families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cree 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. Ayrshire leads with 146 Crees recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.37x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 146 22.37x
Lanarkshire 123 4.36x
Nottinghamshire 115 9.78x
Perthshire 81 20.69x
Durham 56 2.16x
Lancashire 42 0.41x
Angus 40 4.95x
Dunbartonshire 28 11.95x
Midlothian 28 2.40x
Kent 24 0.81x
Yorkshire 23 0.27x
Middlesex 22 0.25x
Northumberland 22 1.70x
Fife 21 4.07x
Devon 17 0.94x
Derbyshire 15 1.10x
Lincolnshire 14 1.00x
Renfrewshire 11 1.63x
Surrey 9 0.21x
Pembrokeshire 8 2.89x
Hertfordshire 7 1.16x
Cheshire 6 0.31x
Clackmannanshire 5 6.94x
Dorset 4 0.70x
Leicestershire 4 0.41x
East Lothian 3 2.60x
Inverness-shire 3 1.15x
Roxburghshire 3 1.90x
Argyllshire 2 0.82x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.38x
Kinross-shire 2 9.07x
Sussex 2 0.14x
Buteshire 1 1.89x
Cardiganshire 1 0.47x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.96x
Somerset 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 53 Crees recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.43x.

Place Total Index
Barony 53 7.43x
Kilmarnock 44 56.64x
Govan 32 4.59x
Dunning 22 449.90x
Dundee 20 6.63x
Kirkintilloch 20 62.81x
Newark Upon Trent 18 42.60x
Auckinleck 17 84.16x
East Stonehouse 15 41.95x
Liff Benvie 15 12.23x
Old Cumnock 15 103.23x
Riccarton 15 152.28x
St Quivox 15 67.97x
Mansfield 14 34.41x
Biggar 13 203.76x
Bulwell 13 50.86x
Glasgow 13 2.60x
South Leith 13 9.89x
Denton 11 47.97x
Broughton In Salford 10 10.57x
Farndon 10 478.47x
Shildon 10 47.96x
Worksop 10 28.69x
Darlington 9 8.98x
Dunfermline 9 11.34x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 9 11.61x
Perth East Church 9 24.39x
Handsworth 8 35.01x
Lambeth 8 1.05x
Marnham 8 1355.93x
Nottingham St Mary 8 2.63x
Perth Middle Church 8 54.35x
Renfrew 8 35.84x
Dunblane 7 74.71x
Holywell 7 104.95x
Islington London 7 0.83x
Kirkby In Ashfield 7 55.69x
Lee 7 16.20x
Newton On Ayr 7 35.81x
North Muskham 7 432.10x
Old Monkland 7 6.25x
Tarbolton 7 65.18x
Ware 7 40.63x
Beckenham 6 15.42x
Beighton 6 96.93x
Dreghorn 6 50.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.28x
Hedleyhope 6 133.63x
Irvine 6 33.09x
Kilmadock 6 66.67x
Meigle 6 206.19x
Muirkirk 6 39.14x
Pembroke St Mary 6 16.81x
Radford 6 10.05x
Thornley 6 63.90x
Whickham 6 25.14x
Balderton 5 155.28x
Beath 5 30.66x
Bolton On Dearne 5 167.22x
Brenenden 5 130.55x
Chesterfield 5 9.77x
Evenwood Barony 5 56.69x
Great Grimsby 5 5.65x
Hyde 5 8.80x
Kinclaven 5 282.49x
Riccarton Hurlford 5 43.67x
Aberdalgie 4 449.44x
Alloa 4 11.45x
Chelsea London 4 1.52x
Dalton In Furness 4 10.02x
Dumbarton 4 12.26x
Grindon 4 388.35x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.70x
Melcombe Regis 4 16.86x
Perth West Church 4 21.54x
Rotherham 4 8.21x
Row 4 13.19x
Scone 4 57.55x
South Stoke 4 1000.00x
Ardersier 3 48.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 27
Thomas 15
James 14
George 11
Joseph 10
Francis 7
Robert 6
Henry 5
Charles 4
David 4
Herbert 4
Edward 3
Ernest 3
Alex. 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Joshua 2
Peter 2
Stanley 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexandra 1
Alick 1
Allen 1
Aubrey 1
Butler 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Donald 1
Edgar 1
Gerald 1
J. 1
Jackson 1
Joe 1
Lionel 1
Richard 1
Roger 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Crawford 1
Watkin 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Cree surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cree surname in 1881?

In 1881, 895 people were recorded with the Cree surname. That placed it at #4,253 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cree surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,461 in 2016. That gives Cree a modern rank of #4,215.

What does the Cree surname mean?

An indigenous Canadian tribe or a person of such descent.

What does the Cree map show?

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