NameCensus.

UK surname

Cretney

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Cretney surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, West Derby and Mansfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Mansfield and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cretney is 176 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 188.2%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

1999

176 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cretney had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Cretney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cretney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cretney 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 21 #31,242
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 172 #19,371
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 176 #19,722
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 153 #21,643
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Cretneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, West Derby, Mansfield, Bidstone and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Mansfield, Teignbridge, Burnley and Denbighshire. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 West Derby Lancashire
3 Mansfield Nottinghamshire
4 Bidstone Cheshire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 001 West Berkshire
2 Mansfield 006 Mansfield
3 Teignbridge 002 Teignbridge
4 Burnley 001 Burnley
5 Denbighshire 003 Denbighshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cretney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cretney

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

Small Town Suburbia

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Cretney is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Cretney is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cretney falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cretney 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

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Cretney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cretney 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. Isle of Man leads with 117 Cretneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 386.78x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 117 386.78x
Lancashire 38 1.97x
Northamptonshire 5 3.26x
Hampshire 4 1.20x
Lincolnshire 1 0.38x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.68x
Warwickshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Marown in Isle of Man leads with 36 Cretneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6545.45x.

Place Total Index
Marown 36 6545.45x
Onchan 21 241.10x
Ardwick 14 80.28x
Braddan 12 727.27x
Malew 12 454.55x
Patrick 8 544.22x
Broughton In Salford 6 33.96x
St Anne 6 1818.18x
Andreas 5 609.76x
Douglas 4 909.09x
Everton 4 6.49x
Liverpool 4 3.41x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 51.35x
Southampton St Mary 4 19.05x
Barrow In Furness 3 11.41x
German 3 181.82x
German Peel 3 172.41x
Toxteth Park 3 4.58x
Lezayre 2 147.06x
Lonan 2 109.29x
Maughold 2 85.84x
Boston 1 12.66x
Cockersand Abbey 1 5000.00x
Hulme 1 2.48x
Jurby 1 270.27x
Levenshulme 1 50.25x
Llansaintffraid 1 222.22x
Moss Side 1 9.83x
Northampton St Giles 1 17.12x
Rugby 1 17.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 13
Robert 12
Thomas 9
William 9
James 7
Joseph 4
Robt. 4
Edward 3
Alexander 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Caesar 1
Caeser 1
Evan 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Geoge 1
Henry 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Thos. 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Cretney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cretney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Cretney surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cretney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Cretney a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Cretney map show?

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