NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccreadie

Of Scottish origin, a locational surname referring to a person from a place named Credie.

In the 1881 census there were 761 people recorded with the Mccreadie surname, ranking it #4,855 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,018, ranked #3,193, up from #4,855 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and Old Luce. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Machars South, Cowlairs and Port Dundas and Newton Stewart.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccreadie is 2,018 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 165.2%.

1881 census count

761

Ranked #4,855

Modern count

2,018

2016, ranked #3,193

Peak year

2016

2,018 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccreadie had 761 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,855 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,018 in 2016, ranked #3,193.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,150 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccreadie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccreadie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccreadie 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 184 #11,120
1861 historical 388 #6,602
1881 historical 761 #4,855
1891 historical 824 #4,924
1901 historical 1,150 #4,233
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 1,851 #3,253
1998 modern 1,887 #3,316
1999 modern 1,879 #3,355
2000 modern 1,895 #3,309
2001 modern 1,854 #3,311
2002 modern 1,926 #3,274
2003 modern 1,899 #3,240
2004 modern 1,872 #3,280
2005 modern 1,872 #3,253
2006 modern 1,901 #3,233
2007 modern 1,905 #3,252
2008 modern 1,923 #3,241
2009 modern 1,947 #3,290
2010 modern 1,985 #3,298
2011 modern 1,960 #3,289
2012 modern 1,939 #3,267
2013 modern 1,982 #3,268
2014 modern 2,006 #3,252
2015 modern 2,011 #3,225
2016 modern 2,018 #3,193

Geography

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Where Mccreadies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Govan Combination, Old Luce, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Machars South, Cowlairs and Port Dundas, Newton Stewart, Cumnock South and Craigens and Castlemilk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Old Luce Wigtown
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
2 Cowlairs and Port Dundas Glasgow City
3 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway
4 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
5 Castlemilk Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccreadie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccreadie

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mccreadie 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

Mccreadie 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

Mccreadie 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 Mccreadie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccreadie

The surname MCCREADIE is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic language spoken in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.

The name MCCREADIE is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "creathach," meaning "trembling" or "shaking." It may have been originally used as a descriptive nickname for someone who had a nervous or trembling disposition. Alternatively, it could have been a reference to someone who lived near a place with shaking or trembling ground, such as a marsh or bog.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared with various spellings, including MacCreathy, MacCredie, and MacCredy, reflecting the phonetic nature of Gaelic names and the variations in their written forms. These early spellings can be found in ancient Scottish records and documents from the medieval era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCCREADIE can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written acts of homage to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, a certain "Gillemor MacCredy" from the county of Ayrshire is listed among the Scottish nobles who swore fealty to the English king.

Throughout the centuries, the MCCREADIE name has been associated with several notable individuals. One example is John McCreadie (c. 1570-1640), a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of Rothesay Parish Church on the Isle of Bute. Another prominent figure was Robert McCreadie (1718-1795), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the town of Greenock.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MCCREADIE name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and the Scottish Borders, where several branches of the family held lands and properties. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as migration within Scotland and to other parts of the British Empire became more common, the name spread to other areas, including the Scottish Lowlands, England, and North America.

One notable bearer of the MCCREADIE name was Sir Andrew McCreadie (1832-1912), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the cotton trade. He was knighted for his charitable work and served as the Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1893 to 1896.

Another prominent figure was William McCreadie (1868-1947), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. His works were instrumental in shaping the city's architectural landscape during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccreadie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccreadie 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 9 Mccreadies recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 5.98x
Surrey 2 3.24x
Ayrshire 1 10.54x
Northumberland 1 5.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 6 Mccreadies recorded in 1881 and an index of 125.00x.

Place Total Index
Everton 6 125.00x
Hulme 3 95.54x
Croydon 2 58.31x
Kirkoswald 1 1250.00x
Morpeth 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Andrew 2
James 2
John 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 Mccreadie households.

FAQ

Mccreadie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccreadie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 761 people were recorded with the Mccreadie surname. That placed it at #4,855 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccreadie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,018 in 2016. That gives Mccreadie a modern rank of #3,193.

What does the Mccreadie surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, a locational surname referring to a person from a place named Credie.

What does the Mccreadie map show?

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