Cree
A name believed to derive from the Native American Cree tribe.
Name Census estimates that about 2,162 living Americans carry the first name Cree. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Cree today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cree births was 2021 (167 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cree. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Cree was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Cree sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
- • Cree is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.2K
~ 1 in 158,536 Americans
Peak year
2021
167 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,011
Tracked since 1989
Gender
Gender distribution for Cree
Cree is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,192 total registrations, 1,089 (49.7%) were male and 1,103 (50.3%) were female.
Cree as a male name
- Ranked #2,011 in 2024
- 76 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (120 births)
Cree as a female name
- Ranked #4,674 in 2024
- 29 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1991 (89 births)
Popularity
Cree: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cree from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 817 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cree by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cree during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Crees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Cree, while Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cree
The name Cree originates from the Cree language, spoken by the Cree people, an Indigenous group of North America. The Cree language is part of the Algonquian language family, and the name itself is derived from the Cree word "Nēhirawak," meaning "the exact people."
The Cree people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years, and their name has been documented in various historical records and accounts from the early settlers and explorers of North America. One of the earliest written records of the name can be found in the journals of French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who encountered the Cree people during his expeditions in the early 17th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cree. One of the most famous was Cree Chief Poundmaker (c. 1842-1886), a respected leader of the Cree people who fought to protect his people's rights and lands during the North-West Rebellion in Canada in 1885.
Another prominent figure was Cree writer and scholar Tomson Highway (born 1951), who has made significant contributions to Canadian literature and has helped to preserve and promote Cree culture through his works.
In the field of art, Cree artist Kent Monkman (born 1965) has gained international recognition for his powerful and thought-provoking works that explore themes of colonialism, sexuality, and Indigenous identity.
Cree actor and activist Tantoo Cardinal (born 1950) has had a successful career in film and television, often portraying strong Indigenous characters and advocating for Indigenous rights.
Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie (born 1941) has been a influential figure in the folk music scene and a advocate for Indigenous causes, using her music to raise awareness and bring about social change.
While the name Cree has its roots in the Indigenous culture of North America, it has transcended its origins and gained recognition worldwide, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Cree people.
People
Cree + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cree as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cree: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cree?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,162 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cree going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 158,536 US residents.
Is Cree a common name?
We classify Cree as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,192 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cree most popular?
The single biggest year for Cree was 2021, when 167 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cree is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cree a female name?
Yes, 50.3% of people registered as Cree in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.