CREES
Crees is a surname that originates from England and has a layered history reflected in its early medieval roots. The name is recorded in various forms, including Cres, Cresy, Cressy, and Crease, indicating a potential evolution that spans both Anglo‑Saxon and Norman influences.
The earliest etymology links the name to the Old English word cres, which translates as “cross.” In the medieval period, a topographic surname such as this would have been assigned to an individual who resided near a cross, a crossroads or a prominent stone cross that served as a landmark. The attachment of a religious symbol to a surname was a common practice in England, especially in regions where churches and monastic sites were focal points for communities.
Another proposed derivation arises from an Anglo‑Saxon source, namely the Old English creas or the Middle English crease, meaning “fine or elegant.” Under this reading, the surname could have functioned as a nickname for an individual noted for their refined appearance or for dressing in elegantly tailored garments. Such nicknames were routinely adopted as family names in the 12th and 13th centuries.
An additional layer of origin derives from Norman France. The name Crecy, referring to the town of Crecy in Seine‑Inferieure, became anglicised as Cressy in Middle English. The Battle of Crecy in 1346, during the Hundred Years War, was a significant event in English history, and the name may have been brought to England by knights who participated there or by their descendants. Variants such as Crease and Creasey appear, particularly in Suffolk, suggesting a spread of the name across East Anglia.
The documentation of the surname dates back to the late 11th century. The earliest known bearer is Cenric Cres of Suffolk, whose name appears in the Feudal Documents from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds around 1095, during the reign of William Rufus. Subsequent records mention Hugo de Creissi in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1171, Alexander de Crecy in the Transcripts of Charters relating to the Gilbertine Houses in 1182, and Richard le Cres in the Norfolk Hundred Rolls in 1275. These entries demonstrate the name’s persistence in official English records over several centuries.
The surname has also been associated with heraldic traditions. Grants of arms to the Creasy and Crecy families include a gold field bearing five red escallops arranged in a cross, a design that conveys the cross motif found in the earliest etymology. The 17th‑century christening record of Thomas, son of Thomas and Joane Creasey, at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, on 17 December 1646, illustrates the endurance of the surname into the early modern period whilst maintaining its spelling as Creasey.
Typical given names associated with the Crees surname
Male
- Adrian
- Aj
- Andrew
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Stuart
- Terry
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sophie
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Crees in...
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There are approximately 705 people named Crees in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,655th most common surname in Britain. Around 11 in a million people in Britain are named Crees.
