Show ContentsCreach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The saga of the Creach family begins among the people of the ancient tribe of the Picts. They lived in the lands of Creich in Fife. "This place is supposed to have derived its name, signifying in the Gaelic language, rocky or rugged ground, from the general appearance of its surface. " [1]

Criech is a parish, in the county of Sutherland, 11½ miles from Tain. "This place is famed for a contest which happened in the eleventh or twelfth century, between the Scots and the Danes, at Druimleah, near Bonar-Bridge, whence the invaders, after being completely routed, retired to their ships at Portnacoulter, at present called the Meikle Ferry. " [1]

Early Origins of the Creach family

The surname Creach was first found in Fife, at Creich, derived from the ancient Celtic word "crug" which means a mound or hill. [2]

"The parish of Creich, in the northern part of Fifeshire, contains the remains of an ancient casde but there is no trace of any family bearing the name occupying the lands. Douenaldus (i.e. Donald) de Creych, a cleric, was one of the witnesses to a confirmation charter by Walter, son of Alan of the land of Tubermor between 1204 and 1241. " [3]

While the surname hails from Scotland, there are at least two listing of the same name further south in England, specifically Creech East in Dorset and Creech St. Michael in Somerset.

Both date back to the Domesday Book where they were listed as Cris and Crixe, respectively. [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Robert de Criche, Nottinghamshire [5] and Kirby's Quest listed Peter de Cryche, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign). [6]

Early History of the Creach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creach research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1403, 1423, 1429, 1544, 1585, 1611, 1659, 1693, 1700, 1720, 1745 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Creach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creach Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Creach has been written Creech, Creich, Creigh, Craich, Creych, Creyche and others.

Early Notables of the Creach family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Thomas Creech (1659-1700), an English translator of classical works, and headmaster of Sherborne School, born at Blandford in Dorset. His...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creach Ranking

In France, the name Creach is the 4,617th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. [7]


United States Creach migration to the United States +

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Creach:

Creach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Creach, aged 30, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Creach (post 1700) +

  • M. W. Creach, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Philippine Islands, 1904 [9]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  7. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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