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Irish surname

Creagh: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Craobhach · 'branching', or possibly belonging to Craobh, a common Irish place-name

Woulfe (1923) gives Creagh (also Creavagh) as an anglicised form of Craobhach, 'branching', or possibly belonging to Craobh, a common Irish place-name. He says the Creaghs are 'according to tradition, a branch of the O'Neills of Clare' and obtained the cognomen Craobhach from an ancestor who carried a green branch in a battle fought at Limerick with the Danes. They were 'an ancient and respectable merchant family in Limerick where the name frequently appears in the list of mayors and bailiffs', and also 'an old and wealthy merchant family in Cork'; Woulfe adds that many of them attained high ecclesiastical distinctions. In 1890, 17 Creagh birth entries were registered in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Creagh surname
Irish formCraobhach
Meaning'branching', or possibly belonging to Craobh, a common Irish place-name
CountiesLimerick, Cork
Other spellings1

Origin of the Creagh name

Woulfe: Creagh/Creavagh from Craobhach. The Creaghs are 'according to tradition, a branch of the O'Neills of Clare' and obtained the cognomen Craobhach from an ancestor who carried a green branch in a battle fought at Limerick with the Danes. They were 'an ancient and respectable merchant family in Limerick where the name frequently appears in the list of mayors and bailiffs', and 'also an old and wealthy merchant family in Cork'.[1]

  1. 1459William Creagh is Bishop of Limerick.[1]
  2. 1483David Creagh is Archbishop of Cashel.[1]
  3. 1564Richard Creagh consecrated Archbishop of Armagh, by Pius IV, on St Patrick's Day.[4]
  4. 1693Peter Creagh appointed Archbishop of Dublin; he never discharged the office in person.[5]
  5. 1705Peter Creagh dies at Strasbourg, in July.[5]
  6. 189017 Creagh birth entries registered in Ireland.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. LimerickWoulfe: an ancient merchant family here; 'the name frequently appears in the list of mayors and bailiffs'.[1]
Co. CorkAlso 'an old and wealthy merchant family' here (Woulfe).[1]

Notable people named Creagh

Richard Creaghc.1525–1585Archbishop of Armagh; born in Limerick about 1525; studied theology at Louvain; consecrated 1564; died in the Tower of London in 1585.[4]
Peter Creaghd. 1705Appointed Archbishop of Dublin in 1693 but 'never able to discharge the duties of the office in person'; grand-nephew of Richard Creagh; died at Strasbourg, July 1705.[5]

Other spellings

Creavagh[1]

The Creagh coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Creagh surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Creagh crest gifts

Clan Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap JN17 Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms Irish Cap Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBQ54 Classic Cap - Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Creagh Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Creagh Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapHO67 Classic Cap - Creagh Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Creagh Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Creagh surname: questions

What does the surname Creagh mean?

Woulfe gives Creagh (also Creavagh) as a form of Craobhach, meaning 'branching', or possibly linked to Craobh, a common Irish place-name.[1]

Where does the Creagh family come from?

Woulfe: by tradition a branch of the O'Neills of Clare; an old merchant family in Limerick (frequent among its mayors and bailiffs) and also an old, wealthy merchant family in Cork.[1]

Is Creagh the same name as McGrath or Magrath?

No source opened here equates them. Woulfe's own entry derives Creagh from Craobhach (the O'Neills of Clare tradition); separately, under his entry for Mac Raith (the name behind McGrath/Magrath), he lists 'M'Creagh' as one of many anglicised spelling variants of that different name. The two are kept as separate entries by Woulfe.[1][2]

Were there Creagh bishops and archbishops?

Yes: William Creagh, Bishop of Limerick (1459); David Creagh, Archbishop of Cashel (1483); Richard Creagh, consecrated Archbishop of Armagh in 1564; and Peter Creagh, appointed Archbishop of Dublin in 1693. Woulfe's own entry names a 'Pierce Creagh' as Archbishop of Dublin 'at the beginning of the 18th century'; Webb's biography gives the 1693 appointment under the name Peter Creagh.[1][4][5]

Sources

  1. Craobhach — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/c/craobhach.php
  2. Mac Raith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macr/mac-raith.php
  3. Creagh — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/creagh.php
  4. Richard Creagh — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RichardCreagh.php
  5. Peter Creagh — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/PeterCreagh.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).