NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccreesh

Irish: son of an ill-tempered or peevish person.

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Mccreesh surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Neath Port Talbot and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccreesh is 238 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 717.9%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

2011

238 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccreesh had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 76 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccreesh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccreesh surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccreesh 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
1861 historical 8 #32,887
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 76 #25,221
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 199 #18,177
1999 modern 207 #17,855
2000 modern 219 #17,195
2001 modern 220 #16,914
2002 modern 227 #16,877
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 214 #17,435
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 216 #17,758
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 238 #17,188
2012 modern 224 #17,786
2013 modern 233 #17,606
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Mccreeshs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Neath Port Talbot, Redbridge and County Durham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
3 Stockton-on-Tees 001 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Redbridge 014 Redbridge
5 County Durham 010 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccreesh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccreesh

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Mccreesh is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccreesh 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

Mccreesh 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 Mccreesh 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccreesh

The surname MCCREESH is of Irish origin and dates back to the late 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Creath", which means "son of Creath". The name Creath is derived from the Irish word "criathar", meaning a sieve or winnowing fan.

The name is believed to have originated in County Armagh, a historic county in Northern Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Irish Fiants, a collection of official documents and records from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John McCreesh, who was born in County Armagh around 1620. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several land records from that period.

Another notable figure was Patrick McCreesh, who lived in the late 17th century and was a member of the Irish Catholic Confederation, an organization that sought to protect the rights of Irish Catholics during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In the 18th century, the MCCREESH surname was also found in County Down, a neighboring county to Armagh. One of the earliest recorded instances from this region was James McCreesh, who was born in Downpatrick, County Down, in 1734.

Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the name was James McCreesh, a prominent Irish lawyer and judge who was born in County Armagh in 1835. He served as a judge of the High Court of Justice in Ireland and was widely respected for his legal expertise.

Throughout its history, the MCCREESH surname has also been spelled in various ways, including McCreesh, McCreash, and McCreeish. Some of these variations can be attributed to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccreesh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccreesh 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. Durham leads with 16 Mccreeshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.60x.

County Total Index
Durham 16 27.60x
Lancashire 4 1.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cowpen Bewley in Durham leads with 16 Mccreeshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 22857.14x.

Place Total Index
Cowpen Bewley 16 22857.14x
Preston 4 64.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 3
Mary 3
Catherine 2
Ann 1
Ellen 1
Isabel 1
Rose 1
Roseannie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 2
Felix 1
Jacob 1
James 1
John 1
Owen 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 Mccreesh households.

FAQ

Mccreesh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccreesh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Mccreesh surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccreesh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Mccreesh a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Mccreesh surname mean?

Irish: son of an ill-tempered or peevish person.

What does the Mccreesh map show?

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