NameCensus.

UK surname

Clear

An English surname derived from a nickname for a person with a fair complexion or light-colored hair.

In the 1881 census there were 625 people recorded with the Clear surname, ranking it #5,661 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 678, ranked #7,909, down from #5,661 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston, Dorking and Latchingdon, Snoreham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chichester, Arun and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clear is 751 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.5%.

1881 census count

625

Ranked #5,661

Modern count

678

2016, ranked #7,909

Peak year

1911

751 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clear had 625 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,661 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 678 in 2016, ranked #7,909.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 751 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clear 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 517 #4,841
1861 historical 450 #5,752
1881 historical 625 #5,661
1891 historical 660 #5,891
1901 historical 710 #6,211
1911 historical 751 #5,736
1997 modern 681 #7,404
1998 modern 702 #7,463
1999 modern 726 #7,321
2000 modern 698 #7,506
2001 modern 679 #7,532
2002 modern 709 #7,436
2003 modern 694 #7,433
2004 modern 679 #7,588
2005 modern 668 #7,623
2006 modern 667 #7,651
2007 modern 679 #7,623
2008 modern 671 #7,721
2009 modern 692 #7,705
2010 modern 684 #7,920
2011 modern 678 #7,885
2012 modern 670 #7,877
2013 modern 677 #7,949
2014 modern 678 #7,979
2015 modern 678 #7,922
2016 modern 678 #7,909

Geography

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Where Clears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston, Dorking, Latchingdon, Snoreham and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chichester, Arun and South Somerset. 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 Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston Sussex
2 Dorking Surrey
3 Latchingdon, Snoreham Essex
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chichester 008 Chichester
2 Arun 002 Arun
3 Arun 004 Arun
4 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
5 Arun 005 Arun

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clear

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clear, 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 Clear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clear 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Clear is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Clear is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clear falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clear 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 Clear, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clear

The surname Clear has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "claere" or "clere," which meant bright or shining. This may have been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a bright complexion or a cheerful disposition.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various spellings such as Clere, Cleer, and Cler in different regions of England. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1221, which mentions a person named Richard le Clere.

The name Clear can also be associated with certain place names in England, such as Clere in Hampshire, which was once spelled as "Cler." It is possible that some individuals may have adopted the surname as a reference to their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Clear was Sir John Clere, who lived in the late 14th century and served as a member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1380 and 1384.

Another notable figure with this surname was Sir Edward Clear (1617-1707), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1660.

In the 17th century, the surname Clear was found in various parts of England, including London, where John Clear (1628-1707), a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company, lived and worked.

The name also appeared in the historical records of Scotland, with figures like Alexander Clear (1697-1755), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Clear was Sir Ralph Clear (1792-1865), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an Admiral.

While the surname Clear has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clear 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. Sussex leads with 115 Clears recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.19x.

County Total Index
Sussex 115 11.19x
Middlesex 82 1.34x
Surrey 66 2.22x
Hampshire 53 4.24x
Essex 47 3.91x
Cambridgeshire 40 10.36x
Hertfordshire 34 8.09x
Kent 26 1.25x
Yorkshire 24 0.40x
Lancashire 22 0.30x
Devon 14 1.10x
Staffordshire 13 0.63x
Buckinghamshire 12 3.26x
Norfolk 11 1.17x
Glamorgan 10 0.94x
Cornwall 8 1.16x
Somerset 8 0.82x
Bedfordshire 6 1.90x
Gloucestershire 6 0.50x
Durham 5 0.28x
Northumberland 4 0.44x
Suffolk 3 0.40x
Berkshire 2 0.44x
Dorset 2 0.50x
Lanarkshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 2.75x
Angus 1 0.18x
Derbyshire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.10x
Monmouthshire 1 0.23x
Northamptonshire 1 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Oxfordshire 1 0.27x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dorking in Surrey leads with 29 Clears recorded in 1881 and an index of 145.36x.

Place Total Index
Dorking 29 145.36x
Latchingdon Snoreham 26 2260.87x
Brighton 20 9.64x
Poplar London 17 14.77x
Tottenham 17 17.51x
Shepreth 16 2105.26x
Bradford 14 9.57x
Arundel 11 190.97x
Leominster 11 332.33x
Paddington London 11 4.91x
Alpington 10 2941.18x
Lambeth 10 1.88x
Ystradyfodwg 10 10.74x
Angmering 9 436.89x
Farlington 9 352.94x
Hertingfordbury 8 465.12x
Maldon St Peter 8 130.51x
Rastrick 8 47.68x
South Bersted 8 91.53x
Ware 8 66.39x
Ashington 7 1320.75x
East Ham 7 31.35x
Pagham 7 384.62x
West Broughton 7 286.89x
Wolverhampton 7 4.42x
Camerton 6 209.79x
Clerkenwell London 6 4.17x
Cockayne Hatley 6 2727.27x
Feock 6 138.89x
Havant 6 94.79x
Kingston 6 1000.00x
Littlehampton 6 73.08x
Millbrook 6 19.07x
Milton In Gravesend 6 19.24x
St Andrewthe Less 6 13.60x
Stanstead Abbots 6 235.29x
Stockbridge 6 329.67x
Alton 5 53.08x
Bromley London 5 3.73x
Broxbourne 5 60.02x
Camberwell 5 1.28x
Grantchester 5 208.33x
Harrow 5 53.65x
Lewisham 5 4.51x
Limehouse London 5 7.47x
Lurgashall 5 326.80x
Minster In Sheppey 5 14.51x
Prestwich 5 27.70x
Seale 5 263.16x
Selborne 5 196.85x
Braughing 4 186.05x
Chalfont St Giles 4 151.52x
Dartington 4 303.03x
Leatherhead 4 53.76x
Newton Abbot St Mary 4 37.56x
North Weald Bassett 4 191.39x
Plymouth Charles The 4 7.15x
Reigate Foreign 4 12.43x
St Pancras London 4 0.82x
Sutton 4 597.01x
Tettenhall 4 31.80x
Tynemouth 4 8.23x
Washington 4 227.27x
Beckenham 3 11.03x
Bignor 3 769.23x
Binsted 3 63.03x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 5.22x
Datchet 3 119.05x
Dursley 3 60.98x
Gilston 3 526.32x
North Chapel 3 180.72x
Poling 3 789.47x
Salford 3 1.41x
Toxteth Park 3 1.22x
Dockenfield 2 454.55x
Effingham 2 163.93x
Harrow On The Hill 2 16.42x
Hove 2 4.43x
Oving 2 57.64x
Winslow 2 57.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 21
Alice 16
Eliza 14
Ellen 14
Emma 11
Jane 10
Emily 9
Ann 8
Ada 7
Annie 7
Fanny 7
Anne 6
Edith 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Adelaide 2
Amelia 2
Bertha 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Mabel 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Rosetta 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Betcey 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
En...les 1
Hope 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Isabelle 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 41
James 27
George 23
John 19
Charles 17
Henry 16
Thomas 14
Alfred 11
Frederick 9
Joseph 9
Walter 9
Arthur 8
Edward 8
Albert 7
Richard 7
Edwin 6
Michael 6
Ernest 5
Robert 5
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Benjamin 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Maurice 2
Sydney 2
Cecil 1
Christopher 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredric 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Julian 1
Leonard 1
Morris 1
Olly 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Reuben 1
Richd.Hy. 1
Wm.Hy.A. 1

FAQ

Clear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 625 people were recorded with the Clear surname. That placed it at #5,661 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 678 in 2016. That gives Clear a modern rank of #7,909.

What does the Clear surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for a person with a fair complexion or light-colored hair.

What does the Clear map show?

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