The Creed surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,718 people carried this name — #7,096 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 62,500 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,679 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Creed surname

From the Old English personal name Creoda.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Creed» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Creed’ — of the origins he gives, the one he considers the main source.

An early record he cites: Alan Crede, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 215 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 9 births for the Creed name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 2 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Cork.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 5
Leinster 4

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Creed was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Somerset: 27 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 370. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 27
Dorset 15

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Creed in American newspapers,
1909–1911.

Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Creed
The Colfax Chronicle 1911-09-09
Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Creed
The Colfax Chronicle 1911-08-12
Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Creed
The Colfax Chronicle 1909-04-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 954 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Creed in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

18,864 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Creed. The most, 2,639, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,027
Victoria 4,650
Queensland 4,303
Tasmania 1,550
South Australia 1,429
Western Australia 796
ACT (Canberra) 63
Northern Territory 17

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Creed.

Who carried it

People named Creed,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Creed d. 1701 · civil servant
  • Elizabeth Blakeney d. 1744
  • Susanna Creed d. 1864
  • Catherine Frances Creed d. 1932
  • Charles Creed d. 1868
  • Juliet Creed d. 1899

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Creed,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States699 records

699 records of the Creed name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 213
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 188
  • Other U.S. records 298
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Fred F. Creed

    Born 1919 in Ohio. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Hayes Columbus; salesperson from Fairfield County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Millersport Cemetery, Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Barton Sheldon Creed

    Born 1945; from Peekskill, New York. U.S. Navy, pilot; declared dead 1971 in Laos.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catherine Creed

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the Saint Louis from Liverpool, aged 21; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 699 records for Creed in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia587 records

587 records of the Creed name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 243
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 115
  • Other Australian records 229
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elias Creed

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Southworth, sailing from London in 1830. Native of Birmingham, Warwickshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Catherine Creed

    Died 1914 in Colebrook, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1914.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elias Charles Creed

    Married 1892 in Oatlands, Tasmania, aged 24. Died 1933 in Tasmania, aged 66.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 587 records for Creed in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada122 records

122 records of the Creed name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 116
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joseph Creed

    Buried in 1911 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 41.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harriet Creed

    Died 1900 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ernest Edward Creed

    Died in service in 1941.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 122 records for Creed in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom16 records

16 records of the Creed name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. J. Creed

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record O. Creed

    Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. G. Creed

    Hertfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Creed in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Creed name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Adolphus Raymond Creed

    Died 1996, aged 87; buried at Mercury Bay Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patricia Ellen Creed

    Died 1992, aged 67; buried at Pigeon Bay Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Irvine Raynor Desmond Creed

    Buried in 1982 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 63.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Creed in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Creed name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Henry James Creed

    Born 1901 in Paris; died 1980 in La Teste (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Sybil Yvonne Creed

    Born 1899 in Paris; died 1989 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Ernest Durham William Creed

    Born 1920 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Roscoff (Finistère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Creed in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Creed name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Florence Creed

    Died 1907 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Creed.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Creed is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Creed volume
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