NameCensus.

UK surname

Creighton

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a creek or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 1,177 people recorded with the Creighton surname, ranking it #3,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,089, ranked #3,097, up from #3,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Longside and Rattray, Allerdale and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Creighton is 2,126 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.5%.

1881 census count

1,177

Ranked #3,419

Modern count

2,089

2016, ranked #3,097

Peak year

2002

2,126 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Creighton had 1,177 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,089 in 2016, ranked #3,097.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,602 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Creighton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Creighton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Creighton 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 715 #3,659
1861 historical 617 #4,321
1881 historical 1,177 #3,419
1891 historical 1,242 #3,477
1901 historical 1,602 #3,224
1911 historical 1,347 #3,558
1997 modern 1,999 #3,051
1998 modern 2,078 #3,063
1999 modern 2,099 #3,064
2000 modern 2,081 #3,071
2001 modern 2,047 #3,052
2002 modern 2,126 #3,012
2003 modern 2,062 #3,041
2004 modern 2,073 #3,026
2005 modern 2,070 #2,984
2006 modern 2,025 #3,053
2007 modern 2,054 #3,047
2008 modern 2,073 #3,043
2009 modern 2,094 #3,091
2010 modern 2,124 #3,119
2011 modern 2,084 #3,128
2012 modern 2,012 #3,178
2013 modern 2,057 #3,169
2014 modern 2,080 #3,155
2015 modern 2,078 #3,129
2016 modern 2,089 #3,097

Geography

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Where Creightons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Newcastle All Saints and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Longside and Rattray, Allerdale, South Somerset, Eden and Darlington. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire
2 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
3 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
4 Eden 003 Eden
5 Darlington 014 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Creighton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Creighton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Creighton, 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 Creighton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Creighton 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, Creighton 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

Creighton is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Creighton 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 Creighton 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 Creighton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Creighton

The surname Creighton originates from Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglo-Scottish territorial surname derived from the lands of Crichton in Midlothian, near Edinburgh. The name is thought to have derived from the Gaelic "crioch-tun," meaning "boundary village" or "village on the march."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Crichtoun." The Crichton family was a prominent Scottish family that held the lands of Crichton for centuries.

In the 14th century, the Crichtons were closely associated with the Scottish royal court, and several members held significant positions of power. Sir William Crichton (c. 1400-1454) served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was a prominent figure during the reign of King James II.

The Creighton spelling emerged as a variant of the original Crichton name. In the 15th century, a branch of the Crichton family settled in Ireland and adopted the Creighton spelling. The earliest known bearer of the Creighton spelling was Sir John Creighton, who was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1440.

Other notable individuals with the Creighton surname include:

1. Robert Creighton (c. 1593-1672), an English Puritan clergyman and writer. 2. Mandell Creighton (1843-1901), an English historian and Bishop of London. 3. John Creighton (1856-1936), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. 4. James Creighton (1830-1901), an American businessman and politician who served as the 12th Governor of Nebraska. 5. Wilfred Creighton (1902-1973), a Canadian aviation pioneer and co-founder of the Creighton Aviation Company.

The Creighton surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, including politics, religion, business, and aviation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Creighton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Creighton 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. Lancashire leads with 198 Creightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.45x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 198 1.45x
Yorkshire 140 1.23x
Cumberland 109 10.99x
Middlesex 92 0.80x
Dumfriesshire 90 35.36x
Northumberland 75 4.38x
Surrey 47 0.84x
Durham 44 1.28x
Lanarkshire 40 1.07x
Aberdeenshire 28 2.62x
Cheshire 27 1.06x
Hampshire 27 1.14x
Westmorland 26 10.27x
Somerset 24 1.29x
Kent 19 0.48x
Renfrewshire 19 2.13x
Staffordshire 18 0.46x
Angus 16 1.50x
Sussex 15 0.77x
Essex 11 0.48x
Gloucestershire 11 0.49x
Shropshire 11 1.11x
Northamptonshire 10 0.92x
Wiltshire 9 0.88x
Ayrshire 8 0.93x
Dorset 8 1.06x
Midlothian 7 0.45x
Berkshire 6 0.69x
Hertfordshire 5 0.63x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 3.00x
Warwickshire 5 0.17x
Devon 4 0.17x
Perthshire 4 0.77x
Royal Navy 4 2.91x
Argyllshire 3 0.94x
Bedfordshire 3 0.50x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.19x
Wigtownshire 3 1.96x
Isle of Man 1 0.47x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.12x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.38x
Stirlingshire 1 0.24x
Suffolk 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 26 Creightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.13x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 26 3.13x
Kexborough 24 979.59x
Toxteth Park 22 4.75x
Hemsworth 21 320.12x
Ambleside 20 254.78x
Lambeth 20 1.99x
Govan 18 1.95x
Dryfesdale 16 136.40x
Oldham 16 3.63x
Mile End Old Town London 15 6.12x
East Greenock 13 15.42x
Farlam 13 208.33x
St Mary 13 170.38x
Applegarth 12 310.88x
Birkenhead 12 5.92x
Bishopwearmouth 12 4.08x
Dumfries 12 47.81x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 12 252.10x
Openshaw 12 18.74x
Middlebie 11 144.17x
Parr 11 22.49x
Preston Quarter 11 39.58x
Wellington 11 19.66x
Lochmaben 10 89.69x
Milborne Port 10 134.77x
St Pancras London 10 1.08x
Wetheral 10 76.10x
Broughton In Salford 9 7.20x
Camberwell 9 1.22x
Ellon 9 61.35x
Hipperholme Cum 9 17.94x
Liff Benvie 9 5.55x
Peterhead 9 15.95x
Sculcoates 9 4.97x
Wardleworth 9 11.52x
Barony 8 0.85x
Bothwell 8 7.92x
Eastbourne 8 8.95x
Elswick 8 5.85x
Gillingham 8 9.87x
Hauxley 8 208.88x
Kingwater 8 610.69x
Leek Lowe 8 15.46x
Morpeth 8 39.68x
Newent 8 69.69x
Weybridge 8 66.45x
Caldewgate 7 12.88x
Compton Martin 7 426.83x
Embleton 7 191.26x
Enfield 7 9.26x
Hornsey 7 4.81x
Melcombe Regis 7 22.34x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 10.46x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 7.88x
Northwood 7 20.81x
Salford 7 1.74x
Sandal Magna 7 41.47x
Satterthwaite 7 391.06x
Shoreditch London 7 1.40x
Warrington 7 4.32x
Wellingborough 7 12.85x
York St Mary 7 14.81x
Ardwick 6 4.87x
Arthuret 6 58.03x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.20x
Chester St John Baptist 6 13.13x
Chirton 6 15.47x
Dundee 6 1.51x
Gomersal 6 11.26x
Holy Trinity 6 2.19x
Kensington London 6 0.94x
Kilmarnock 6 5.85x
Moffat 6 51.68x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 6 26.62x
Rickergate 6 28.59x
West Derby 6 1.50x
West Greenock 6 3.74x
Westoe 6 3.09x
Woodhorn Hirst 6 638.30x
Workington 6 10.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 71
Elizabeth 37
Jane 34
Margaret 30
Sarah 26
Ann 22
Emma 14
Annie 12
Isabella 12
Ellen 11
Hannah 11
Martha 11
Eliza 10
Alice 7
Ada 6
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Emily 6
Jessie 6
Frances 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Harriett 4
Lucy 4
Matilda 4
Amy 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Fanny 3
Louisa 3
Margt. 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Cecilia 2
Clara 2
Dora 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Georgina 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Janet 2
Lily 2
Maud 2
Rosetta 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 63
John 55
James 39
George 29
Thomas 29
Charles 15
Joseph 15
Robert 15
David 14
Henry 14
Richard 9
Andrew 7
Isaac 7
Walter 7
Edward 6
Wm. 6
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Patrick 5
Alexander 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Peter 4
Archibald 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Michael 3
Fitzmaurice 2
Fred 2
Geo.Wm. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
W. 2
Wilson 2
Allan 1
Barton 1
C. 1
Cuthbert 1
Edgar 1
Edwd 1
Edwd. 1
Ephrain 1
Eward 1
Francies 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
J.W. 1

FAQ

Creighton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Creighton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,177 people were recorded with the Creighton surname. That placed it at #3,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Creighton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,089 in 2016. That gives Creighton a modern rank of #3,097.

What does the Creighton surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a creek or stream.

What does the Creighton map show?

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