| ![Show Contents]() Creel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
When the ancestors of the Creel family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived at Kirkley, a township in the parish of Poneteland in the county of Northumberland. The family name Creel became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. An early roll lists John de Curli of England, 1199 and this source presumes the name is from Thomas de Curleio in Normandy, 1198. 1 Another source postulates the name means "dweller near Curley (bend or turn in the road), in Scotland; one who came from Curley, in France; one who had curly hair." 2 Early Origins of the Creel familyThe surname Creel was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Ashburnham, anciently Esseborne. These estates, including three salt houses, were granted to Robert de Criel, a Norman Knight, by William, Duke of Normandy for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D., and is so noted in the Domesday Book, 3 a survey taken of landholders in England in 1086. Robert de Criel was from the Castle of Criel near Criel-sur-Mer in the arrondisement of Dieppe. Part of the walls of this huge castle are still standing, and there are also traces of a moat. Robert's chief tenant was the Count of Eu. 1 Early English rolls showed a wide variety of spellings in Latin and early English: Rannulf de Curleio was listed at Hinton, Hampshire c. 1110; Robert de Curli was found in the Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1190; William de Curly in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire 1227-1228; Benedict le Curly in Staffordshire in 1271; and Thomas Curly in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 4 Early History of the Creel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creel research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1295, 1339, 1489, 1575, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1637, 1647, 1678, 1679, 1724 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Creel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Creel Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Creel have been found, including Crull, Crul, Cruel, Criel, Cryle, Kriel, Krile, Crile, Kirle, Kyrle, Cyrle, Kreel, Creel, Crulle, Crule, Curl, Curle, Girl, Cryll and many more. Early Notables of the Creel familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter Curle (Curll) (1575-1647), an English bishop, a close supporter of William Laud, Bishop of Rochester in 1628, Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1629...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Creel RankingIn the United States, the name Creel is the 3,614th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Creel family to Ireland
Some of the Creel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Creel migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Creel were among those contributors:
Creel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Margt. Creel, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
- William Creel, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Llanelly, in 1897
- Mary Ann Creel, aged 19, who landed in America from Llanelly, in 1899
Creel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Luis R. Creel, aged 23, who landed in America from London, England, in 1908
- Virginia Creel, who landed in America, in 1912
- Samuel Creel, aged 21, who settled in America, in 1914
| Contemporary Notables of the name Creel (post 1700) | + |
- Jack Dalton Creel (1916-2002), American Major League Baseball pitcher
- Walton Hardy Creel (b. 1974), American artist
- Herrlee Glessner Creel (1905-1994), American sinologist and philosopher
- Leanna Creel (b. 1970), American actress, film producer, film director, screenwriter and photographer
- Gavin James Creel (b. 1976), American actor, singer and song writer
- Keith Creel (b. 1959), American right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher
- Reuben W. Creel, American politician, U.S. Consul in Chihuahua, 1863-66 6
- M. P. Creel, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1898 6
- H. Lyle Creel (1882-1947), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1937 6
- Frank W. Creel, American politician, Representative from Virginia 11th District, 2002 6
- ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Nil moror ictus
Motto Translation: I do not care for blows.
| Suggested Readings for the name Creel | + |
- Anywhere I Wander I Find Facts and Legends Relating to the Creel Family by Jame Adolphus Owens.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Creel migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
