The Creek surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,052 people carried this name — #8,184 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 73,000 people counted. That is up 13% from 3,593 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Creek surname

As an English surname, from Creake in Norfolk, a variant of the noun crag (“steep rugged cliff”).

The Native American tribe name is likely shortened from Ocheese Creek (the Hitchiti name for the body of water known today as the Ocmulgee River).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Creek» (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 local name, from where the family lived: ‘of the creek’.

An early record he cites: Ralph Crake, Yorkshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Craik, Crake, Creek and Creak.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 213 · public domain.

In print

Creek in American newspapers,
1913.

Newspaper page from Yellowstone Monitor carrying the name Creek
Yellowstone Monitor 1913-01-02
Newspaper page from Yellowstone Monitor carrying the name Creek
Yellowstone Monitor 1913-01-09
Newspaper page from Yellowstone Monitor carrying the name Creek
Yellowstone Monitor 1913-01-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Creek in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

10,844 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Creek. The most, 1,426, date from the 1920s. Victoria 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 South Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,725
South Australia 2,545
New South Wales 2,531
Queensland 1,783
Western Australia 968
Tasmania 213
ACT (Canberra) 38
Northern Territory 20

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

Who carried it

People named Creek,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas E. Creek
    Thomas E. Creek 1950–1969 · military personnel
  • William Creek 1837– · priest
  • Sarah Louisa Dugdale 1870–
  • Herbert Lesourd Creek 1879– · writer
  • Doug Creek 1969–2024 · baseball player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 8 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Creek,
in the records of 6 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 States190 records

190 records of the Creek name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 106
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 53
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 12
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 10
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 5
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Milton I. Creek

    Born 1912 in Kansas. Enlisted 1943 at Los Angeles, California; mail carrier. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    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 Thomas Elbert Creek

    Born 1950; from Amarillo, Texas. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    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 Wensel Creek

    Arrived at New York in 1880 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow, aged 28; laborer. From Germany.

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

Showing 3 of 190 records for Creek in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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).

Australia150 records

150 records of the Creek name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 77
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 47
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 11
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  • Tasmanian Names Index 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Saml Creek

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Norfolk, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Herbert William Creek

    Gentlewoman of Mornington, Victoria; died 1963.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Charles Creek

    Left Launceston in 1851 aboard the City of Melbourne, bound for Melbourne.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 150 records for Creek in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Creek 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 P. Creek

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    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 F. P. Creek

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. 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. H. Creek

    Royal Army Medical Corps. 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 9 records for Creek 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).

Canada5 records

5 records of the Creek name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Clara Ellen Creek

    Died 1966; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Aubrey McGillivary Creek

    Born 1902 in Stonehurst, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Corrine Catherine Creek

    Died 1950; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 5 records for Creek in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. 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).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Creek name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Andries Creek

    Married in 1661 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Urbanus Gregorius Creek

    Baptised in 1651 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johanna Creek

    In the population register of Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Creek in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Creek name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record June Elizabeth Creek

    Died 1966, aged 34; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Creek.

When the index is not enough

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