From a nickname from the Gaelic word creag ‘rock’, or in some cases a transferred use of the Scottish surname derived as a local name from this word. Though still particularly popular in Scotland, the given name is now used throughout the English-speaking world and is chosen by many people who have no connection with Scotland.
German: 1. nickname from a word meaning ‘starling’. Compare Starling. 2. nickname from the Slavic word stary ‘old’, either an identifying name for the older of two bearers of the same name or, in some cases, an identifying name for an ‘old’ inhabitant, as distinct from a newcomer.