2000
#6,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,679
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Creed
An English surname derived from the Latin "credo," referring to a person's religious belief or creed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,196 Americans carry the last name Creed. That puts it at #7,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Creed surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Creed with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,965
Census rank
#7,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,531 bearers of the surname Creed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Creed, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Creed
The surname Creed is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'creda', meaning belief or creed. It is thought to have originated as a nickname for a devout person, or one who adhered strictly to their religious beliefs.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Creed dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1191. This early record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by that time.
In the 13th century, the name Creed appeared in various forms, such as Crede, Creede, and Creed, reflecting the varying spellings of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was John Crede, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.
The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain several references to individuals with the surname Creed, including Robert Crede from Oxfordshire and William Crede from Cambridgeshire. These records provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution of the name during the medieval period.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Creed gained prominence through several notable figures. One such individual was Sir James Creed (1551-1624), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. Another was Sir William Creed (1610-1697), a prominent English politician who served as Secretary of State during the reign of Charles II.
In the 18th century, the name Creed was associated with the English poet and playwright, William Creed (1701-1775), who is remembered for his contributions to the development of English literature. Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Creed (1732-1803), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Headmaster of Westminster School.
The 19th century saw the continued prominence of the Creed surname, with individuals such as Henry Creed (1824-1901), a British civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of railways in India, and William Creed (1866-1945), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1923 to 1925.
Throughout its history, the surname Creed has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, politicians, merchants, scholars, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Creed
Among Census respondents with the surname Creed, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Creed bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Creed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 3,906
- Two or more races4.8% · 216
- Black or African American4.6% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Creed
Creed appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,718
+39 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 438 places
2020
#7,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,531
-187 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,658 | 4,679 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,096 | 4,718 | 1.60 | +39 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 438 places |
| 2020 | #7,114 | 4,531 | 1.52 | -187 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 18 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Creed surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,096 | #7,114 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,718 | 4,531 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.52 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Creed bearers went from 4,718 to 4,531 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,096 to #7,114.
FAQ
Creed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Creed?
Name Census estimates that about 5,196 living Americans carry the surname Creed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,965 residents.
How common is Creed?
Creed ranks #7,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,531 people with the surname Creed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Creed.
Has Creed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Creed went from 4,718 recorded bearers to 4,531. That is a decrease of 187 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,096 to #7,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Creed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Creed, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Creed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (3,906 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Creed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Creed (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Creed mean?
An English surname derived from the Latin "credo," referring to a person's religious belief or creed. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Creed (1.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Creed?
See how many Americans have the surname Creed on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.