The McCrea surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,320 people carried this name — #5,504 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 46,700 people counted. That is up 6% from 5,971 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the McCrea surname

A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.

Variant of McRae.

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

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 33 births for the McCrea name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 5 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Tyrone.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 30
Leinster 2
Munster 1

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

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, McCrea was counted together with McRae: 105 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 611 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McRae, McCrae, McCray, McCre, McCrea, McKray, McRa, McRay, Mcray, McRea, McRee. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 59
Pennsylvania 14
South Carolina 12
New York 5
Maryland 5
Connecticut 4
Virginia 4
New Hampshire 1
Massachusetts 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McCrea in American newspapers,
1899–1911.

Newspaper page from The Lancaster Gazette carrying the name McCrea
The Lancaster Gazette 1907-01-16
Newspaper page from New Iberia Enterprise And Independent Observer carrying the name McCrea
New Iberia Enterprise And Independent Observer 1911-09-23
Newspaper page from The Philipsburg Mail carrying the name McCrea
The Philipsburg Mail 1899-02-24

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

In print

McCrea in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

2,946 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCrea. The most, 732, 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 South Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,102
Victoria 653
South Australia 470
Western Australia 399
Queensland 211
Tasmania 69
ACT (Canberra) 14
Northern Territory 2

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

Who carried it

People named McCrea,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Joel McCrea
    Joel McCrea 1905–1990 · film actor
  • Jody McCrea
    Jody McCrea 1934–2009 · film actor
  • Jane McCrea
    Jane McCrea 1752–1777
  • Henriette Alice McCrea-Metcalf
    Henriette Alice McCrea-Metcalf 1888–1981 · socialite
  • William McCrea 1904–1999 · university teacher

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McCrea,
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 States812 records

812 records of the McCrea name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 210
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 209
  • Other U.S. records 393
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harry K. McCrea

    Born 1917 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Thomas Newport, Kentucky; driver from Richland County, Ohio. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Mansfield Memorial Park, 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 William E. McCrea

    Born 1926; from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps; died in an accident 1952 in Korea. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret McCrea

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Moville, aged 22; servant. From Tyrone, Ireland; bound for Philadelphia.

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

Showing 3 of 812 records for McCrea in the United States.

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

Australia330 records

330 records of the McCrea name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 230
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 31
  • Other Australian records 69
  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 George McCrea

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Maitland, arriving 1840; ticket of leave 1846.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James McCrea

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Mindoro, aged 30; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John F. McCrea

    Merchant of Kew, Victoria; died 1917.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 330 records for McCrea 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). 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); 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).

Canada42 records

42 records of the McCrea name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 14
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 9
  • Other Canadian records 19
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John McCrea

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Tweed, landing at Quebec, bound for New Lowell, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Aaron Jackson McCrea

    Died 1985, aged 78; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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

    Died in service in 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 42 records for McCrea in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the McCrea name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Cyril Golding McCrea

    Died 1974, aged 61; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Judith Anne McCrea

    Died 1991; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record R. McCrea

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 8 records for McCrea in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Waimakariri District 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); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the McCrea name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen McCrea

    Buried in 1877 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 68.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McCrea

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. 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 W. McCrea

    Gunner, Cheshire 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 6 records for McCrea in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the McCrea 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 Gregory Samuel McCrea

    Born 1957 in Ireland; died 2001 in Allogny (Cher).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McCrea.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McCrea 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.

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