NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccree

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the hollow crossing" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 171 people recorded with the Mccree surname, ranking it #14,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, down from #14,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle St Andrew, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Sutherland East and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccree is 295 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.0%.

1881 census count

171

Ranked #14,212

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

1998

295 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccree had 171 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 176 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccree surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccree surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccree 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 171 #14,212
1891 historical 159 #17,636
1901 historical 176 #16,401
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 294 #13,707
1998 modern 295 #14,029
1999 modern 280 #14,630
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 287 #14,402
2003 modern 276 #14,604
2004 modern 270 #14,913
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 254 #15,560
2007 modern 258 #15,554
2008 modern 279 #14,860
2009 modern 290 #14,778
2010 modern 279 #15,529
2011 modern 278 #15,390
2012 modern 275 #15,459
2013 modern 281 #15,487
2014 modern 278 #15,692
2015 modern 272 #15,851
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Mccrees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle St Andrew, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, St James Clerkenwell and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Sutherland East, County Durham, Ribble Valley and Nottingham. 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 Newcastle St Andrew Northumberland
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 001 North West Leicestershire
2 Sutherland East Highland
3 County Durham 046 County Durham
4 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
5 Nottingham 026 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccree

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccree

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccree, 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 Mccree surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccree 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mccree is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Mccree is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccree falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccree is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccree

The surname McCree originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic "Mac Rìgh" or "Son of the King", suggesting a connection to Scottish royalty or nobility. Variations in spelling include MacCree, MacCrie, and McCrie.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1539, which mention a John McCree from the county of Ayr. This record suggests that the name was present in the southwestern regions of Scotland during that time period.

Another notable early reference is the appearance of a Robert McCree in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland in 1621. This document details his involvement in a legal dispute over land ownership, providing insight into the social status and activities of those bearing the surname during the 17th century.

In the late 18th century, the name appears in the Old Parish Registers of Lanarkshire, with the birth of John McCree recorded in 1787 in the town of Bothwell. This region, located in central Scotland, seems to have been a stronghold for the McCree family during that era.

Historically notable individuals with the surname McCree include:

1. John McCree (1811-1885), a Scottish-born American Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

2. Robert McCree (1837-1912), a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the iron and steel industry in the United States. He was a notable benefactor of educational institutions in his later years.

3. Samuel McCree (1860-1928), a Scottish-American lawyer and judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1922 until his death.

4. Thomas McCree (1808-1879), a Scottish-born Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 1860s.

5. William McCree (1763-1835), a Scottish-born American pioneer and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later helped establish settlements in the Ohio River Valley region.

The surname McCree has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its earliest known bearers hailing from regions such as Ayr, Lanarkshire, and beyond. While the name has spread across the globe over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the 16th century and the Scottish Gaelic language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccree families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccree 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. Middlesex leads with 9 Mccrees recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.20x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 9 4.20x
Yorkshire 6 2.82x
Cumberland 3 16.25x
Devon 2 4.48x
Glamorgan 2 5.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clayton in Yorkshire leads with 6 Mccrees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1153.85x.

Place Total Index
Clayton 6 1153.85x
Shoreditch London 4 43.01x
Bromley London 3 63.56x
Llandaff 2 161.29x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 58.14x
Seaton 2 909.09x
St Pancras London 2 11.59x
Harrington 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Alice 1
Ann 1
Athols 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Donald 1
Harry 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Saomis 1
Thomas 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 Mccree households.

FAQ

Mccree surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccree surname in 1881?

In 1881, 171 people were recorded with the Mccree surname. That placed it at #14,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccree surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Mccree a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Mccree surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the hollow crossing" in Gaelic.

What does the Mccree map show?

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