NameCensus.

UK surname

Callear

A locational surname derived from a place name in Cambridgeshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Callear surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 318, ranked #14,159, up from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and Tipton otherwise Tibington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Callear is 377 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 194.4%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

318

2016, ranked #14,159

Peak year

2002

377 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Callear had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016, ranked #14,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Callear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Callear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Callear 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1891 historical 146 #18,664
1901 historical 180 #16,171
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 321 #12,941
1998 modern 367 #12,121
1999 modern 367 #12,202
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 365 #12,014
2002 modern 377 #11,962
2003 modern 359 #12,189
2004 modern 338 #12,781
2005 modern 329 #12,966
2006 modern 327 #13,092
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 333 #13,434
2010 modern 334 #13,690
2011 modern 325 #13,808
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 329 #13,918
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 318 #14,159

Geography

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Where Callears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Wolstanton and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands and Rotherham. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
3 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
4 Wolstanton Staffordshire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 011 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 010 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Rotherham 003 Rotherham
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 013 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Callear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Callear

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Callear, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Callear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Callear household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Callear is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Callear is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Callear falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Callear is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Callear

The surname Callear is believed to have originated in the Italian region of Sicily. It likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "calle," meaning a narrow street or alley, and the suffix "-are," which denotes an occupation or a place of residence.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Callear surname can be found in a 15th-century Sicilian document that refers to a certain "Giovanni Calleari," which is an early variant spelling of the name. This suggests that the Callear family may have lived or worked in or near a calle, perhaps as merchants or artisans.

During the Renaissance period, the name Callear appeared in several Sicilian records and manuscripts, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in various parts of the island. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Vincenzo Callear (1525-1592) was a respected artist and engraver from the city of Palermo.

As the Callear family expanded and migrated to other parts of Italy and Europe, the surname underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Calleari, Calleare, and Callieri. For instance, in the 17th century, a famous Italian painter named Giovanni Battista Calleari, better known as Caliari or Il Calleari (1590-1644), hailed from the city of Verona.

In the 18th century, the Callear surname found its way to the British Isles, possibly through Italian immigrants or travelers. One notable individual was John Callear (1730-1798), an English poet and writer who was born in Hertfordshire.

Another significant figure with the Callear surname was the French sculptor and painter Jacques Callear (1798-1868), who was born in Paris and gained recognition for his works in the Neoclassical and Romantic styles.

These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the Callear surname throughout history, highlighting its Italian roots and its gradual spread across Europe and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Callear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Callear 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. Staffordshire leads with 59 Callears recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.75x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 59 16.75x
Shropshire 24 26.62x
Yorkshire 11 1.06x
Lancashire 8 0.65x
Warwickshire 4 1.52x
Cheshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Willenhall in Staffordshire leads with 15 Callears recorded in 1881 and an index of 227.27x.

Place Total Index
Willenhall 15 227.27x
Tipton 13 120.48x
Wellington 12 236.69x
Carlton In Barnsley 11 2820.51x
Dawley 11 335.37x
Wednesfield 8 154.44x
Barrow In Furness 7 41.57x
Burslem 6 59.46x
Cannock 5 81.30x
Aston 4 5.52x
Wolstanton 4 37.38x
West Bromwich 3 14.87x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 5.35x
Bilston 1 14.64x
Great Crosby 1 29.59x
Hyde 1 14.71x
Uppington 1 3333.33x
Walsall Foreign 1 5.49x
Wolverhampton 1 3.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Lillian 2
Lucy 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Ellen 1
H. 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Littesha 1
Martha 1
Milly 1
Phoebe 1
Rachell 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 5
Albert 4
Samuel 4
Thomas 4
James 3
Enock 2
George 2
Jabez 2
Levi 2
Richard 2
B.A. 1
Benjamin 1
Benjamine 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Elizabeth 1
Enoch 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Isiah 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Oram 1
P.W. 1
R.M. 1
Ralph 1
Robt.W. 1
Slaney 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Callear households.

FAQ

Callear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Callear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Callear surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Callear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016. That gives Callear a modern rank of #14,159.

What does the Callear surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Cambridgeshire, England.

What does the Callear map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Callear 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.