MCCREATH
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Creath, Mccreath
McCreath is a surname of Gaelic origin, principally associated with Scotland. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Raith or Mac Riada, the prefix Mac meaning “son of” and the element Raith or Riada forming a personal name. Riada derives from the Gaelic word riada, signifying “a driving force” or “a wheel,” whereas Raith is related to the ancient word rat, meaning “fortune,” so the name can be rendered as “son of prosperity” or “son of grace.”
The earliest documentary evidence of the surname in Scotland appears in the 12th and 16th centuries. One of the first recorded holders is Macraith de Ospitali, who witnessed the donation of a church to the canons of Holyrood during the reign of Malcolm IV (1153‑1165). Later, a Dugall McRay is listed as a charter witness at Kilmun, Ayrshire, in 1576. The name is also attested in the early 13th‑century Cartularium Comitatus de Levenax of Scotland, where an Alexander MacRad appears in a 1225 charter under the reign of King Alexander II (1214‑1249).
Throughout history the surname has existed in a variety of spellings. The forms MacCraith, MacRay, MacCray, MacCreath, MacReath, MacCrea, MacCraw, MacCree and MacCrie are all recognised variants. Shortened versions beginning with Mc also appear, and the name has been recorded as McCreight, McCraith, McCraight, McRaith and McCrate. In some cases the prefix has been omitted entirely, producing surnames such as Creath or Craith. Similar names that share the same Gaelic root include MacGrath, McGrath, MacRaith and Magrath.
Although relatively uncommon, bearers of the surname are now found in several English‑speaking countries. In Britain the name remains most frequently recorded in Scotland, although occurrences exist in England and Ireland. Across the Atlantic, individuals with the surname can be identified in Canada, the United States and Australia, reflecting the broader Scottish diaspora that expanded during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Genetic and genealogical investigations of the McCreath lineage often point back to the Highland clan of MacRae in the province of Cromarty, suggesting a geographical connection that may have influenced the surname’s initial formation. Nonetheless, historical documentation shows that the name arose independently in various regions, as indicated by early records from both Scotland and Ireland, including the ogham inscription Maqi Rati found at Keenrath in the Irish county of Cork, which may date from the fifth century A.D. when Gaelic was introduced into Scotland from Ireland.
In summary, the surname McCreath encapsulates a rich Gaelic heritage, a lineage that extends back to medieval Scotland and has spread across the globe through migration. Its multiple spellings and the endurance of its original meaning, “son of prosperity” or “son of grace,” continue to distinguish this name within the wider corpus of Scottish surnames.
Typical given names associated with the McCreath surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- Hugh
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Olivier
- Robert
- William
Female
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jane
- Jean
- Kirsty
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
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 McCreath in...
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There are approximately 810 people named McCreath in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,684th most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named McCreath.
