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

Creel, 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 Creel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Creel in America

Creel is the 4028th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Creel surname appeared 8,815 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Creel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Creel 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 Creel

The surname Creel is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "creel," meaning a wicker basket or fish trap. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who made or sold creels.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Creel can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Historical records from this period, including tax rolls and parish registers, contain variations in spelling, including Crele, Creile, and Creyle.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Crele, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. Additionally, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 reference a William Crele in Cambridgeshire.

The name Creel is also associated with several place names in England, such as Creel Farm in Yorkshire and Creel Hill in Northumberland, suggesting that the surname may have derived from these locations in some instances.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Creel have left their mark. One such person was Thomas Creel (1575-1648), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Bilton in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was Sir John Creel (1630-1701), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Essex, who served as a Member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, John Creel (1818-1887) was a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee. Additionally, George Creel (1876-1953), an American journalist and author, played a significant role as the head of the United States Committee on Public Information during World War I.

More recently, Herrick Creel (1905-1994), an American businessman and philanthropist, was the CEO of the Ballantine Brewing Company and made significant contributions to various educational and cultural institutions in New York.

Creel is a surname that has endured through the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the occupational and geographical history of England. Despite variations in spelling and pronunciation, the name continues to hold a distinct place in the tapestry of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Creel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!