NameCensus.

UK surname

Beer

An occupational surname for a brewer or seller of beer, or a nickname for a beer drinker.

In the 1881 census there were 4,775 people recorded with the Beer surname, ranking it #928 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,104, ranked #1,325, down from #928 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beer is 6,176 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.9%.

1881 census count

4,775

Ranked #928

Modern count

5,104

2016, ranked #1,325

Peak year

1911

6,176 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beer had 4,775 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #928 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,104 in 2016, ranked #1,325.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beer surname distribution map

The map shows where the Beer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Beer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beer over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,317 #873
1861 historical 3,199 #898
1881 historical 4,775 #928
1891 historical 5,116 #919
1901 historical 5,721 #973
1911 historical 6,176 #835
1997 modern 5,274 #1,234
1998 modern 5,422 #1,253
1999 modern 5,488 #1,247
2000 modern 5,436 #1,256
2001 modern 5,246 #1,268
2002 modern 5,355 #1,268
2003 modern 5,188 #1,275
2004 modern 5,173 #1,279
2005 modern 5,063 #1,292
2006 modern 5,092 #1,284
2007 modern 5,097 #1,296
2008 modern 5,076 #1,313
2009 modern 5,183 #1,311
2010 modern 5,293 #1,316
2011 modern 5,243 #1,307
2012 modern 5,135 #1,307
2013 modern 5,204 #1,317
2014 modern 5,183 #1,330
2015 modern 5,136 #1,325
2016 modern 5,104 #1,325

Geography

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Where Beers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge and North Devon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 004 Torridge
2 Torridge 005 Torridge
3 Torridge 003 Torridge
4 Torridge 007 Torridge
5 North Devon 010 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beer

These lists show first names that appear often with the Beer surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Beer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Beer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beer is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beer falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Beer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Beer

The surname Beer originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "bier," meaning "beer," suggesting that the name was likely an occupational surname given to a brewer or tavern keeper.

In the Bairisch dialects of Bavaria and Austria, the name was often spelled as "Pier" or "Byr." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records, such as the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," which mentions a "Conradus Bier" in 1288.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Johann Beer, a German brewer and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Michael Beer, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1800, who made significant contributions to the field of optics and celestial mechanics.

The Beer surname also has a long history in England, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is that of John Beer, a merchant from Bristol who is mentioned in the city's records in 1567.

In the United States, the Beer surname can be traced back to the colonial era, with the earliest known bearer being Hans Beer, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th century. Another prominent American with the surname was George Lewis Beer, a historian and educator born in 1872, who served as a professor at Columbia University and wrote extensively on British colonial history.

Other notable individuals with the surname Beer include Max Beer, a German socialist and writer born in 1864, and Rachel Beer, an English novelist and biographer born in 1858, known for her works on the lives of famous authors and intellectuals.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 1,730 Beers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.78x.

County Total Index
Devon 1,730 17.78x
Middlesex 502 1.07x
Kent 489 3.07x
Glamorgan 206 2.53x
Cornwall 199 3.76x
Surrey 197 0.86x
Somerset 164 2.18x
Dorset 144 4.69x
Suffolk 136 2.39x
Lancashire 132 0.24x
Gloucestershire 130 1.42x
Hampshire 110 1.15x
Wiltshire 81 1.96x
Yorkshire 73 0.16x
Essex 67 0.73x
Sussex 60 0.76x
Derbyshire 48 0.66x
Warwickshire 44 0.37x
Monmouthshire 36 1.07x
Leicestershire 33 0.64x
Hertfordshire 29 0.90x
Durham 25 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 24 1.62x
Staffordshire 23 0.15x
Cheshire 15 0.15x
Royal Navy 12 2.15x
Channel Islands 11 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.17x
Norfolk 10 0.14x
Lincolnshire 8 0.11x
Northamptonshire 7 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.20x
Worcestershire 6 0.10x
Herefordshire 5 0.26x
Brecknockshire 4 0.43x
Northumberland 4 0.06x
Lanarkshire 3 0.02x
Angus 2 0.05x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.11x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Damerel in Devon leads with 105 Beers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.42x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Damerel 105 15.42x
Plymouth St Andrew 75 10.00x
Plymouth Charles The 70 16.33x
Bideford 58 55.64x
Tormoham 57 13.84x
Atherington 52 627.26x
Swansea Town 49 7.34x
Exeter St Sidwell 45 20.19x
Islington London 45 0.99x
Barnstaple 43 28.15x
Bedminster 42 5.94x
Great Torrington 39 70.68x
Kensington London 36 1.38x
Limehouse London 35 6.82x
Cardiff St Mary 34 7.58x
Bishops Tawton 33 108.70x
Calstock 32 30.83x
Lambeth 30 0.74x
Chardstock 29 136.47x
Portsea 29 1.54x
St George Hanover Square 29 3.52x
Camberwell 27 0.90x
Hartland 27 89.11x
Liverpool 27 0.80x
St Woollos 27 7.16x
East Stonehouse 26 13.56x
South Molton 26 48.63x
St George In East London 26 5.91x
Colerne 25 147.49x
Mile End Old Town London 25 2.51x
Bristol St Paul In 24 9.82x
Chelsea London 24 1.70x
Dover St Mary Virgin 24 15.54x
Poplar London 24 2.72x
Birmingham 23 0.59x
Nonington 23 180.96x
West Derby 23 1.42x
Clerkenwell London 22 1.99x
Lyme Regis 22 59.86x
Ramsgate 22 8.45x
St Teath 22 69.01x
Aldbury 21 143.84x
Crediton 21 22.77x
Hackney London 21 0.80x
Charlton 20 18.88x
Wolborough 20 16.26x
Axmouth 19 173.99x
Bermondsey 19 1.37x
Stowting 19 557.18x
Warkleigh 19 506.67x
Canterbury St Paul 18 62.87x
Cheriton Bishop 18 189.67x
Newton Abbot St Mary 18 22.05x
Sheepshed 18 25.34x
St Pancras London 18 0.48x
Tiverton 18 10.74x
Cardiff St John 17 6.39x
Seaton 17 45.32x
Aveton Gifford 16 113.64x
Bridford 16 229.23x
Croydon 16 1.27x
Ilfracombe 16 15.97x
Milton In Gravesend 16 6.69x
Buckland Monachorum 15 72.15x
Georgeham 15 122.65x
Harberton 15 67.66x
Pilton 15 46.70x
Sudbury St Gregory 15 32.87x
Bishops Nympton 14 75.47x
Cannington 14 62.61x
Chard 14 15.36x
Clifton 14 3.02x
Hadleigh 14 25.34x
Ludgvan 14 33.18x
Membury 14 135.66x
Shoreditch London 14 0.69x
St Marylebone London 14 0.56x
Stratton 14 48.76x
Sudbury St Peter 14 44.86x
Westbury On Trym 14 4.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Beer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 369
Elizabeth 204
Sarah 145
Ann 87
Emma 86
Jane 85
Eliza 80
Ellen 79
Emily 68
Alice 61
Annie 61
Susan 48
Florence 41
Edith 36
Harriet 34
Louisa 33
Caroline 31
Maria 30
Bessie 27
Catherine 27
Clara 27
Martha 27
Fanny 25
Charlotte 24
Lucy 24
Grace 23
Ada 21
Hannah 21
Anne 18
Margaret 18
Matilda 18
Harriett 16
Kate 16
Anna 15
Elizth. 15
Laura 15
Agnes 14
Amelia 14
Julia 13
Rosa 13
Minnie 12
Henrietta 11
Jessie 11
Lydia 10
Esther 9
Frances 9
Gertrude 9
Helen 9
Susanna 9
Amy 8

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Beer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 349
John 299
George 177
James 145
Thomas 138
Charles 92
Henry 84
Alfred 62
Robert 52
Richard 49
Edward 48
Samuel 48
Joseph 47
Arthur 39
Frederick 39
Walter 38
Albert 30
Edwin 27
Ernest 26
Frank 17
Wm. 17
Harry 16
Francis 15
Fred 14
Herbert 14
Isaac 11
David 10
Sidney 10
Fredk. 8
Philip 8
Andrew 7
Jacob 7
Peter 7
Christopher 6
Percy 6
Sydney 6
Elias 5
Fredrick 5
Geo. 5
Stephen 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Joshua 4
Willm. 4
Abraham 3
Alexander 3
Harold 3
Horace 3
Matthew 3
Phillip 3

FAQ

Beer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,775 people were recorded with the Beer surname. That placed it at #928 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,104 in 2016. That gives Beer a modern rank of #1,325.

What does the Beer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a brewer or seller of beer, or a nickname for a beer drinker.

What does the Beer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Beer bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.