Find out how popular the last name Cree is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cree.

Cree, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cree surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cree in America

Cree is the 17014th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cree surname appeared 1,670 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cree.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cree to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cree

The surname Cree is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cræft," meaning "skill" or "craft." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as an occupational surname for a skilled craftsman or artisan.

The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire in the West Midlands region of England. Early recordings of the name include John le Cree, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1283, and William Cree, who appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327.

Cree is also found in various place names across England, such as Cree St. Mary and Cree St. Peter in Suffolk, and Cree in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "crič," meaning "creek" or "small stream," suggesting that some instances of the surname may have originated from these locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cree is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cræft." This entry suggests that the surname may have existed even before the 12th century, although it was likely rare at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Cree throughout history include:

1. John Cree (c. 1640-1720), an English minister and academic who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
2. George Cree (1772-1839), a Scottish-born American surveyor and cartographer known for mapping parts of the American West.
3. Sir Walter Cree (1857-1932), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the field of electrical engineering.
4. Mary Cree (1888-1976), a Scottish artist and painter known for her landscape and still-life works.
5. George Lash Cree (1892-1980), an American writer and journalist who covered World War I and World War II for various newspapers.

While the surname Cree is not as common today as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is deeply rooted in the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cree

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cree.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cree was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cree has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cree was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cree, please contact us.

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