2000
#8,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,593
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Creek
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,105 Americans carry the last name Creek. That puts it at #8,787 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,497 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Creek 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 Creek with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,497
Census rank
#8,787
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,580 bearers of the surname Creek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8787th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Creek, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Creek
Among Census respondents with the surname Creek, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Creek 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 Creek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 2,885
- Black or African American9.2% · 328
- Two or more races5.6% · 199
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Creek
Creek 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
#8,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,052
+459 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 263 places
2020
#8,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,580
-472 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 603 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,447 | 3,593 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,184 | 4,052 | 1.37 | +459 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 263 places |
| 2020 | #8,787 | 3,580 | 1.20 | -472 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 603 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 Creek 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 | #8,184 | #8,787 | -7.4% |
| Count | 4,052 | 3,580 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.20 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Creek bearers went from 4,052 to 3,580 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 603 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,184 to #8,787.
FAQ
Creek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Creek?
Name Census estimates that about 4,105 living Americans carry the surname Creek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,497 residents.
How common is Creek?
Creek ranks #8,787 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,580 people with the surname Creek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Creek.
Has Creek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Creek went from 4,052 recorded bearers to 3,580. That is a decrease of 472 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,184 to #8,787.
What does the Census say about the background of Creek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Creek, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Creek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (2,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Creek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Creek (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 Creek mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook. 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 Creek (1.20 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 surname Creek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.