Contents [hide]

Creedon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Creedon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Creedon history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Creedon history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Creedon family originally lived in the parish of Creed in the county of Cornwall. "Crede is manifestly a personal name in the Hundred Rolls in districts far removed from Cornwall. It occurs in every case without a prefix, in itself an argument in favour of a fontal origin. No doubt it means creed, i.e. belief, answering to faith, so familiar as a girl's name later on." 1

Early Origins of the Creedon family

The surname Creedon was first found in Cornwall at Creed, a parish, in the union of St. Austell, W. division of the hundred of Powder. There is another Creed in the East division of Sussex, but the former is where this family hails. 2 Originally known as Sancta Crida, the Cornish parish means "Church of St. Cride," from the patron saint of the church. 3

The Hundred (Hundredorum) Rolls of 1273 listed: Alan Crede, Suffolk; Mabilia Crede, Cambridgeshire; and Roger Crede, Huntingdonshire. 1 Henry Crede, vicar of Homing, Norfolk in 1381 4 and John Creyde was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 5

Early History of the Creedon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creedon research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1564, 1578, 1582, 1614, 1616, 1644, 1659, 1660, 1663, 1668, 1682, 1695, 1701, 1728, 1743, 1754, 1761, 1762, 1866, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Creedon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creedon Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Creed, Creede, Crede, Cread, Creade, Creeds, Creedes, Credes, Creads and many more.

Early Notables of the Creedon family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Adam Creedy (fl. 1388), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Exeter in 1388; and Sir James Creed (c. 1695-1762), an English merchant and politician, Member of Parliament for Canterbury (1754-1761), Fellow of the Royal Society in February, 1743.Elizabeth Creed (1644?-1728), was an English philanthropist, born in or about 1644, the only daughter of Sir Gilbert Pickering, bart., of Tichmarsh, Northamptonshire. "In October 1668 she became the wife of John Creed [see below] of Oundle, Northamptonshire, who appears to have been at one time a retainer in the service of Lord Sandwich...
Another 150 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creedon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Creedon family to Ireland

Some of the Creedon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 261 words (19 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creedon migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Creedon arrived in North America quite early:

Creedon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

N Creedon, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1856 6
Patrick Creedon, aged 20, who arrived in America, in 1895
Norah Creedon, aged 18, who arrived in America, in 1896
Timothy Creedon, aged 25, who arrived in America from Buttevant, Co. Cork, in 1898

Creedon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Timothy Creedon, aged 23, who arrived in America from Ballyvourney, Ireland, in 1907
James Creedon, aged 22, who arrived in America from Bantry, Ireland, in 1907
Jeremiah Creedon, aged 25, who arrived in America from Macroom, Ireland, in 1907
Bridget Creedon, aged 28, who arrived in America from Mallow, Ireland, in 1908
Denis Creedon, aged 34, who arrived in America from Fermoy, Ireland, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Creedon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Creedon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Alice Creedon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828

Creedon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Creedon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Creedon, aged 19, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Creedon (post 1700) +

John Joseph Creedon (1924-2020), American businessman who served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
James Creedon, American Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services
Geraldine Creedon, American former politician, Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1995-2012)
Carolyn Creedon (b. 1969), Newport News, Virginia is an American poet, awarded the Academy of American Poets prize
Robert S. Creedon Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Elected Massachusetts State Senate Second Plymouth & Bristol District 2002 7
Laura M. Creedon, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 2008 7
Joseph H. Creedon, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 15th District, 1932 7
Alexander W. Creedon, American Republican politician, Assistant Secretary of Connecticut Republican Party, 1922 7
Peter Creedon, Irish Gaelic football manager
John "Johnny" Creedon (b. 1932), Irish former Gaelic footballer who played from 1954 to 1957
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
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.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html