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

Creek, 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 Creek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Creek in America

Creek is the 8184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Creek surname appeared 4,052 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 Creek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Creek 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 Creek

The surname Creek is an English toponymic name that originated in geographic areas near a creek or small stream. It is derived from the Old English word "crēc," which means a small stream or brook. The name likely emerged in the 11th century after the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Creek surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a person named William de la Creke. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a John atte Creke residing in Oxfordshire. These early records suggest that the name was initially associated with individuals living near a small watercourse or creek.

During the Middle Ages, the Creek surname appeared in various spellings, including Creke, Crek, and Cryke, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in counties like Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset, where numerous small streams and waterways existed.

One notable bearer of the Creek surname was Sir Thomas Creek (c. 1420-1482), a prominent English politician and courtier during the Wars of the Roses. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1461 to 1463 and was a trusted advisor to King Edward IV.

Another historical figure with the Creek surname was John Creek (c. 1570-1633), an English clergyman and scholar. He was appointed as the rector of St. Giles Cripplegate in London and later became the President of Sion College, a renowned institution for the education of clergy.

In the 17th century, the Creek surname also appeared in colonial America. One example is Thomas Creek (c. 1620-1697), an early settler in Virginia who acquired land in Charles City County and played a role in the local government and militia.

The surname Creek has also been associated with several place names throughout England, such as Creek Town in Dorset, Creek Bridge in Gloucestershire, and Creek Lane in Somerset. These toponyms likely originated from the presence of a creek or small stream in those locations.

Other notable individuals with the Creek surname include William Creek (1807-1873), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes, and John Randolph Creek (1833-1905), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Creek

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

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 Creek 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 Creek 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 Creek was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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