Creag History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The Creag surname is derived Scottish Gaelic word "creag," meaning "a rock" which became the Scots word "craig." Craig is parish in Forfarshire which was "formerly called Inchbrayock, the 'island of trout,' by which name an island of thirty-four Scotch acres within the parish is still known. Craig was at that time only the designation of one of the chief estates, and it is supposed that, when the place of worship was transferred from the island to the property of Craig on the continental part of the district, the name of Craig, which is naturally derived from the rocky nature of the shore, was extended to the whole of the parish." 1

Early Origins of the Creag family

The surname Creag was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland. This northern Clan was frequently associated with the Gordons, but their first records appeared in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire to the south about 1180. One of the first records of the name was Johannes del Crag who was witness to a charter by William the Lion. Later, Robertus de Crag witnessed a charter by Alexander II. 2

Early History of the Creag family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creag research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1296, 1300, 1335, 1440, 1512, 1538, 1567, 1569, 1586, 1600, 1608, 1620, 1622, 1627, 1663, 1731 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Creag History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creag Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Craig, Craigh, Creag, Creagh and others.

Early Notables of the Creag family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was John Craig (1512?-1600), Scottish divine, born about 1512, and next year lost his father, one of the Aberdeenshire family of Craigs of Craigston, at Flodden. 3 Sir Thomas Craig (c. 1538-1608), was a Scottish feudalist, jurist and poet. He was the eldest son of William Craig of Craigfintray in Aberdeenshire. Sir Thomas' third son, John Craig M.D. (died 1620), was a Scottish physician and astronomer, physician to James VI of Scotland. Sir Lewis Craig, Lord Wrightslands (1569-1622), was an early Scottish judge, eldest...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creag Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Creag family to Ireland

Some of the Creag family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creag migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Creag Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Isabella Creag, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772

Creag 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:

Creag Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Creag, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mandarin" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 21st May 1841 4

The Creag Motto +

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: Vive ut vivas
Motto Translation: Live that you may live for ever

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html