Creel
A surname most likely linked to the word for a wicker basket or creel, probably first used as a nickname for someone associated with baskets or basket-carrying.
The #4,028 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,025 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is most plausibly derived from Middle English and Scots creel, meaning a wicker basket or fish basket. In northern speech a creel could refer to the basket itself, and related explanations in older surname books connect names like Creelman and Creeley to that word. As a surname, it would have begun as a nickname or occupational-style label for someone who made, carried, or regularly used creels.
History
The name is relatively uncommon and appears to have been preserved mainly in English-speaking regions, especially in Britain and later the United States. Historical surname references also note the expression “to have one’s wits in a creel,” showing the word’s wider use in older dialect English. The surname may sometimes be confused with similar-looking names such as Creelman or Creeley, which are treated separately in older works.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Scots and northern English speech, a creel was not just any basket but a sturdy wicker carrying basket, often used for fishing or farm work.
From the historical record
“CREELMAN. One who carries a wicker basket, called iu the North a creel. CREGOE. An estate iu the parish of Tregony, co. Cornwall. CREIGHTON. See Crichton.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom