NameCensus.

UK surname

Creegan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname 'O'Criogain', meaning "descendant of the little wizard".

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Creegan surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 286, ranked #15,240, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Toxteth Park and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Logie and Blackness, Carmunnock South and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Creegan is 318 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 472.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

286

2016, ranked #15,240

Peak year

2010

318 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Creegan had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016, ranked #15,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Creegan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Creegan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Creegan 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 267 #15,016
1999 modern 273 #14,875
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 279 #14,408
2002 modern 283 #14,559
2003 modern 281 #14,443
2004 modern 271 #14,883
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 270 #14,923
2007 modern 280 #14,694
2008 modern 285 #14,647
2009 modern 307 #14,192
2010 modern 318 #14,136
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 298 #14,565
2013 modern 292 #15,027
2014 modern 300 #14,839
2015 modern 295 #14,935
2016 modern 286 #15,240

Geography

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Where Creegans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Toxteth Park, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Logie and Blackness, Carmunnock South, Westminster, Liverpool and Salford. 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 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
2 Carmunnock South Glasgow City
3 Westminster 020 Westminster
4 Liverpool 061 Liverpool
5 Salford 002 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Creegan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Creegan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Creegan, 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 Creegan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Creegan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Creegan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Creegan is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Creegan 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 Creegan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Creegan

The surname Creegan is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "crioghan," meaning "wood" or "wooded area," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near or worked in a forested region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It mentions a Niall Creegan, who was a prominent figure in the 14th century and played a role in the conflicts between Irish clans and the Anglo-Norman settlers.

The Creegan surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Creaghan, Criaghan, and Creggan. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the evolution of language over time. The name has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Creggan, a village in County Armagh, and Cregganbane, a townland in County Tyrone.

Notable individuals bearing the Creegan surname include:

1. Patrick Creegan (1865-1942), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the Mayor of Boston from 1927 to 1929. 2. John Creegan (1856-1932), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Creegan & Co. department store chain in New York City. 3. Eileen Creegan (1925-2008), an Irish-American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and television shows in the mid-20th century. 4. Michael Creegan (1892-1964), an Irish-born American lawyer and judge who served on the New York Supreme Court from 1944 to 1964. 5. Thomas Creegan (1808-1876), an Irish-born American Catholic priest who played a significant role in the establishment of the Diocese of Brooklyn in the 19th century.

While the Creegan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Despite its geographical dispersion, the name continues to carry a connection to its Irish heritage and the historical significance of its origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Creegan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Creegan 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. Staffordshire leads with 11 Creegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.68x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 11 6.68x
Yorkshire 10 2.07x
Angus 7 15.50x
Roxburghshire 7 79.28x
Durham 5 3.45x
Lancashire 3 0.52x
Shropshire 3 7.12x
Denbighshire 2 10.86x
Lanarkshire 2 1.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Linthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 9 Creegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 312.50x.

Place Total Index
Linthorpe 9 312.50x
Wednesbury 8 194.65x
Dundee 7 41.52x
Hawick 7 353.54x
Escomb 4 597.01x
Alrewas 3 1875.00x
Much Wenlock 3 769.23x
Salford 3 17.63x
Barony 2 5.01x
Bersham 2 253.16x
Huddersfield 1 14.20x
Stranton 1 20.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catharine 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Peter 5
James 3
Thomas 3
Hugh 2
John 2
Frances 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Miles 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Creegan households.

FAQ

Creegan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Creegan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Creegan surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Creegan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016. That gives Creegan a modern rank of #15,240.

What does the Creegan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname 'O'Criogain', meaning "descendant of the little wizard".

What does the Creegan map show?

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