NameCensus.

UK surname

Creelman

A Scottish surname denoting someone who hailed from a hamlet near Arbroath, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Creelman surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Stromness and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harthill and Salsburgh, Shotts and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Creelman is 143 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.7%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2012

143 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • • Creelman had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 137 in 1901.
  • • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Map

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Creelman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Creelman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Creelman 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 128 #24,015
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 131 #23,793
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Creelmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Stromness, Greenock, Leamington Priors and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harthill and Salsburgh, Shotts, Scarborough, Cowal South and Cannock Chase. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Stromness Orkney
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire
2 Shotts North Lanarkshire
3 Scarborough 009 Scarborough
4 Cowal South Argyll and Bute
5 Cannock Chase 001 Cannock Chase

Forenames

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First names often paired with Creelman

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

Historical female names

Mary Elizabeth Jane Margaret Agnes Janet Annie Jean Sarah Catherine

Historical male names

William John James Robert Samuel George Andrew Henry Charles Peter

Recent female names

Claire Sarah Janet Kathleen Margaret Elizabeth Louise Alison Annette Angela

Recent male names

James John William Christopher Colin David Ross Paul Mark Alan

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Creelman

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Creelman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Creelman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Creelman is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Creelman 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

Creelman falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Origin

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Meaning and origin of Creelman

The surname Creelman is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Argyll and the Hebrides islands.

The name Creelman is a variant of the Gaelic surname Cruimein, which is derived from the word "cruim," meaning "bent" or "crooked." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a bent or crooked appearance or posture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Creelman can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this record, the name appears as "Crumin."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Creelman family established themselves as landowners and influential figures in the Scottish Highlands. Notable members of the family during this period include John Creelman (1570-1642), a prominent clan chief and landowner in Argyll, and William Creelman (1625-1698), a respected minister in the Church of Scotland.

In the 18th century, the name Creelman began to spread beyond Scotland as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and North America. One notable figure from this era was James Creelman (1740-1820), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, United States.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential individuals bearing the Creelman name. John Creelman (1812-1885) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament. Another notable figure was James Creelman (1859-1915), an American journalist and author who worked for various prominent newspapers, including the New York Herald and the New York World.

In the early 20th century, Samuel Creelman (1875-1938) gained recognition as a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He played a significant role in the development of the Canadian mining industry and was a generous supporter of educational and charitable causes.

Throughout its history, the surname Creelman has been associated with various place names and variations in spelling, including Crewman, Crumin, and Crewmen. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its Scottish roots and heritage, with many Creelman families continuing to trace their ancestry back to the Highlands region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Creelman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Creelman 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. Renfrewshire leads with 15 Creelmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.19x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 15 29.19x
Lanarkshire 11 5.13x
Orkney 10 136.99x
Warwickshire 10 5.98x
Ayrshire 9 18.13x
Midlothian 4 4.50x
Argyllshire 3 16.25x
Selkirkshire 3 50.00x
Durham 1 0.51x
Glamorgan 1 0.87x
Middlesex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stromness in Orkney leads with 10 Creelmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1818.18x.

Place Total Index
Stromness 10 1818.18x
Leamington Priors 9 218.45x
Paisley Middle Church 7 234.11x
Abbey 6 76.53x
Kilmarnock 6 101.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 11.19x
Lanark 4 231.21x
Galashiels 3 135.14x
Kilmore Kilbride 3 256.41x
Barony 2 3.68x
Fenwick 2 769.23x
Govan 2 3.77x
West Greenock 2 21.69x
Bishopwearmouth 1 5.91x
Cardiff St Mary 1 15.72x
Chelsea London 1 5.01x
Colmonell 1 200.00x
Coventry St Michael 1 18.62x
Glasgow 1 2.63x
Lesmahagow 1 44.05x
Rutherglen 1 31.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Allan 1
Andrew 1
Benjn. 1
Hugh 1
James 1
John 1
Robert 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 Creelman households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 3
Bakers Apprentice 1
Buss Conductor 1
Domestic Servant 1
Genl Servant 1
Master Mariner 1
Nurse (H...) 1
Police Officer 1
Seaman 1

FAQ

Creelman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Creelman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Creelman surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Creelman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Creelman a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Creelman surname mean?

A Scottish surname denoting someone who hailed from a hamlet near Arbroath, Scotland.

What does the Creelman map show?

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