NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccreath

A surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Craith, meaning "son of Craith".

In the 1881 census there were 387 people recorded with the Mccreath surname, ranking it #8,152 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 732, ranked #7,440, up from #8,152 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Kirkmichael and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Girvan Ailsa, Northumberland and Doon Valley South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccreath is 732 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.1%.

1881 census count

387

Ranked #8,152

Modern count

732

2016, ranked #7,440

Peak year

2016

732 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccreath had 387 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,152 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016, ranked #7,440.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 528 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccreath surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccreath surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccreath 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 250 #8,788
1861 historical 338 #7,541
1881 historical 387 #8,152
1891 historical 420 #8,528
1901 historical 528 #7,740
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 593 #8,219
1998 modern 616 #8,240
1999 modern 627 #8,187
2000 modern 629 #8,150
2001 modern 617 #8,120
2002 modern 655 #7,896
2003 modern 645 #7,868
2004 modern 644 #7,893
2005 modern 672 #7,585
2006 modern 663 #7,700
2007 modern 664 #7,745
2008 modern 678 #7,670
2009 modern 687 #7,750
2010 modern 694 #7,830
2011 modern 692 #7,748
2012 modern 690 #7,687
2013 modern 709 #7,653
2014 modern 716 #7,638
2015 modern 726 #7,518
2016 modern 732 #7,440

Geography

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Where Mccreaths are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Girvan Ailsa, Northumberland, Doon Valley South, Machars South and Doon Valley North. 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 Girvan Ayr
2 Kirkmichael Ayr
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Colmonell Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Girvan Ailsa South Ayrshire
2 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
3 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire
4 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
5 Doon Valley North East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccreath

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccreath

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mccreath is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccreath 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

Mccreath falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mccreath

The surname McCreath originates from Scotland, where it first appeared in the Scottish Highlands during the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "creath" which translates to "form" or "figure." This suggests that the name may have referred to the physical appearance or build of an ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McCreath can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which document a payment made to a person named Gillechryst McCreath. This indicates that variations of the spelling, such as McCraith or McCrayth, existed in medieval times.

The McCreath surname is closely associated with the clan territory of Glengarry in Inverness-shire, suggesting that the name may have originated in this region of the Scottish Highlands. Several McCreath families were recorded as landowners in the area during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Historical figures who bore the McCreath surname include John McCreath (1719-1793), a prominent Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Argyllshire. Another notable individual was Robert McCreath (1772-1854), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later settled in Canada.

In the 17th century, the McCreath name appeared in parish records from the Isle of Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland. One such record from 1678 mentions a marriage between Angus McCreath and Mary McMillan.

Other historical figures of note include Archibald McCreath (1832-1909), a Scottish-born author and journalist who emigrated to Australia and wrote extensively about the early history of Melbourne. Additionally, James McCreath (1847-1925) was a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada.

Overall, the McCreath surname has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with early records dating back to the 13th century and a strong association with the clan territories of Glengarry and the Isle of Islay.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccreath families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccreath 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. Ayrshire leads with 5 Mccreaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.81x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 5 42.81x
Lancashire 4 2.16x
Brecknockshire 3 96.15x
Durham 1 2.15x
Kent 1 1.88x
Middlesex 1 0.64x
Surrey 1 1.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maybole in Ayrshire leads with 4 Mccreaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 1111.11x.

Place Total Index
Maybole 4 1111.11x
West Derby 4 73.80x
Brecknock St John 3 1153.85x
Ayr 1 181.82x
Kensington London 1 11.53x
Maidstone 1 62.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 31.85x
Westoe 1 38.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Julia 2
Elizabeth 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Hugh 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 Mccreath households.

FAQ

Mccreath surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccreath surname in 1881?

In 1881, 387 people were recorded with the Mccreath surname. That placed it at #8,152 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccreath surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016. That gives Mccreath a modern rank of #7,440.

What does the Mccreath surname mean?

A surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Craith, meaning "son of Craith".

What does the Mccreath map show?

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