The McCreary surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,298 people carried this name — #4,285 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 35,600 people counted. That is up 2% from 8,105 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McCreary surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic and Irish Mac Ruaidhrí (“son of Ruaidhrí”), a personal name composed of the elements ruadh (“red”) + rí (“king”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McCreary» (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 5 births for the McCreary name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 3
Leinster 2

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

37 families named McCreary, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 277 people lived in those households, 7.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McCreary, McCrary, McCrearea, McCrearey, McCreery, McCrery, McReary, McRreary. 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

Pennsylvania 10
North Carolina 8
South Carolina 8
New York 6
Maryland 5

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. 252 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McCreary in American newspapers,
1894–1915.

Newspaper page from The Laramie Republican carrying the name McCreary
The Laramie Republican 1894-02-12
Newspaper page from The Dalles Daily Chronicle carrying the name McCreary
The Dalles Daily Chronicle 1894-08-10
Newspaper page from Crossville Chronicle carrying the name McCreary
Crossville Chronicle 1915-04-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 59,860 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McCreary in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1980s.

350 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCreary. The most, 79, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Tasmania, at 8.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Tasmania 173
Victoria 99
Western Australia 31
New South Wales 13
Queensland 13
ACT (Canberra) 6
South Australia 1

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

Who carried it

People named McCreary,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James B. McCreary
    James B. McCreary 1838–1918 · politician
  • Keith McCreary
    Keith McCreary 1940–2003 · ice hockey player
  • John McCreary 1761–1833 · politician
  • David B. McCreary 1826–1906 · military personnel
  • Bill McCreary, Sr. 1934–2019 · ice hockey coach
  • William McCreary 1855–1904 · politician

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

In the public record

People named McCreary,
in the records of 4 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 States557 records

557 records of the McCreary name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 307
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 112
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 71
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 24
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 22
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 13
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Isac McCreary

    Born 1912 in Florida. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Blanding; yardman from Escambia County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1965, buried at Barrancas National Cemetery, Florida.

    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 Addison R. McCreary

    Born 1933; from Madison County, Indiana. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea.

    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 Sarah McCreary

    Arrived at New York in 1881 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; milliner. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 557 records for McCreary in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Australia52 records

52 records of the McCreary name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 34
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 16
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John McCreary

    Died 1877 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 58. Will registered in Tasmania in 1877.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jno M. McCreary

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Lizzie Spalding, aged 41; British subject.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Euphemia McCreary

    Died 1891 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 52 records for McCreary in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada16 records

16 records of the McCreary name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 5
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 4
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Janet Craig McCreary

    Died 1996, aged 89; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. 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 Harry Earl McCreary

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record George S. McCreary

    Died 1901 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 16 records for McCreary in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · 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. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the McCreary name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Susan McCreary

    Died 1909, aged 28; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    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 R. McCreary

    Driver, Labour Corps. 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 page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Henry McCreary

    Died 1962, aged 84; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 5 records for McCreary in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McCreary.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McCreary 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 McCreary volume
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