NameCensus.

UK surname

Dear

A surname derived from the Old English word "deore," meaning beloved, precious, or of great value.

In the 1881 census there were 2,226 people recorded with the Dear surname, ranking it #1,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,790, ranked #2,417, down from #1,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arlsey, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Arbroath Kirkton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dear is 3,064 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.3%.

1881 census count

2,226

Ranked #1,999

Modern count

2,790

2016, ranked #2,417

Peak year

1998

3,064 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dear had 2,226 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,790 in 2016, ranked #2,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,974 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dear 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 1,617 #1,779
1861 historical 1,475 #1,920
1881 historical 2,226 #1,999
1891 historical 2,516 #1,880
1901 historical 2,795 #1,998
1911 historical 2,974 #1,748
1997 modern 2,972 #2,178
1998 modern 3,064 #2,198
1999 modern 3,040 #2,229
2000 modern 3,001 #2,246
2001 modern 2,941 #2,239
2002 modern 2,983 #2,254
2003 modern 2,899 #2,268
2004 modern 2,860 #2,302
2005 modern 2,800 #2,321
2006 modern 2,771 #2,344
2007 modern 2,756 #2,380
2008 modern 2,821 #2,336
2009 modern 2,851 #2,363
2010 modern 2,888 #2,388
2011 modern 2,824 #2,406
2012 modern 2,806 #2,381
2013 modern 2,874 #2,367
2014 modern 2,884 #2,374
2015 modern 2,850 #2,375
2016 modern 2,790 #2,417

Geography

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Where Dears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arlsey, London parishes, St Pancras and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Arbroath Kirkton. 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 Arlsey Bedfordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 014 Central Bedfordshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 011 Central Bedfordshire
3 Huntingdonshire 014 Huntingdonshire
4 Arbroath Kirkton Angus
5 Central Bedfordshire 013 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dear

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dear is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dear is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dear falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dear is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dear

The surname DEAR is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "deor," meaning "wild animal" or "deer." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname referring to someone skilled in hunting deer or living in an area abundant with deer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DEAR can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1221, where a William Dere is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a John le Dere living in Oxfordshire. These early spellings, such as "Dere" and "le Dere," reflect the transition from the Old English word to a more modern surname form.

The surname DEAR is also believed to have been influenced by certain place names in England. For example, the village of Deer in Gloucestershire, which was documented as "Dere" in the Domesday Book of 1086, may have contributed to the surname's development. Similarly, the town of Deerhurst in Gloucestershire, recorded as "Deor-hyrst" in 1086, could have been a source of the surname.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname DEAR, one can mention:

1. William DEAR (c. 1573-1655), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1628 to 1629.

2. John DEAR (1609-1662), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1648.

3. Thomas DEAR (1793-1853), a British soldier and explorer who served in the British Army and participated in several expeditions to Africa.

4. James DEAR (1836-1904), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the late 19th century.

5. Alice DEAR (1881-1967), an English actress and singer who performed in various stage productions and musical comedies in the early 20th century.

While the surname DEAR has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as "Dere," "Deere," and "Deare," its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the tradition of bestowing descriptive nicknames related to occupations, characteristics, or surroundings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dear 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. Middlesex leads with 449 Dears recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 449 2.08x
Bedfordshire 260 23.24x
Surrey 253 2.40x
Hampshire 244 5.51x
Wiltshire 158 8.27x
Kent 119 1.61x
Angus 90 4.50x
Hertfordshire 64 4.30x
Essex 63 1.48x
Sussex 57 1.56x
Devon 53 1.18x
Yorkshire 46 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 44 10.26x
Dorset 43 3.03x
Cambridgeshire 39 2.85x
Berkshire 35 2.16x
Midlothian 23 0.79x
Glamorgan 21 0.56x
Lancashire 17 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.52x
Gloucestershire 13 0.31x
Suffolk 13 0.49x
Lincolnshire 12 0.35x
Oxfordshire 12 0.90x
Perthshire 8 0.82x
Staffordshire 8 0.11x
Leicestershire 7 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.46x
Cornwall 6 0.25x
Northamptonshire 6 0.30x
Northumberland 6 0.19x
Somerset 4 0.12x
Cheshire 3 0.06x
Durham 3 0.05x
Flintshire 3 0.52x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Derbyshire 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 2 0.78x
Fife 1 0.08x
Kincardineshire 1 0.38x
Monmouthshire 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Renfrewshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stotfold in Bedfordshire leads with 76 Dears recorded in 1881 and an index of 354.81x.

Place Total Index
Stotfold 76 354.81x
Arlesey 69 488.67x
Camberwell 59 4.27x
St Pancras London 49 2.82x
Bermondsey 45 7.00x
Southampton St Mary 39 14.00x
Lambeth 36 1.91x
Battersea 35 4.40x
Hackney London 34 2.81x
Islington London 31 1.48x
Ealing 30 15.54x
Brighton 28 3.81x
Kensington London 28 2.33x
Biggleswade 26 70.96x
Hitchin 25 37.19x
West Ham 25 2.65x
Enford 23 354.39x
Newington 23 2.88x
Reading St Giles 23 14.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 1.89x
Shoreditch London 22 2.35x
Winterslow 21 327.61x
St Marylebone London 20 1.73x
Tormoham 20 10.51x
Harrow On The Hill 19 44.02x
Portsea 19 2.19x
South Stoneham 19 19.78x
Salisbury St Martin 18 90.50x
Bovey Tracey 17 108.07x
Britford 17 134.71x
Broadwater 17 20.34x
Downton 17 67.97x
Codford St Peter 16 677.97x
Mile End Old Town London 16 3.48x
St Vigeans 16 14.81x
Chiswick 15 12.70x
Woodford 15 461.54x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 3.22x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.39x
Brechin 13 16.52x
Huntingdon St Mary 13 121.16x
Langford 13 141.46x
Maidstone 13 5.92x
Mains 13 76.43x
St Andrewthe Less 13 8.31x
Blandford Forum 12 42.89x
Hartford 12 428.57x
Hornchurch 12 57.39x
Millbrook 12 10.76x
Paddington London 12 1.51x
Poole St James 12 22.52x
Shillington 12 72.82x
Upper Clatford 12 219.38x
Alverstoke 11 6.86x
Dundee 11 1.47x
Forfar 11 10.15x
Huntingdon All Sts 11 369.13x
Limehouse London 11 4.64x
Oxford St Ebbe 11 28.01x
Abbotts Ann 10 200.40x
Bedford St Paul 10 13.03x
Chelsea London 10 1.54x
Edmonton 10 5.74x
Southill 10 110.25x
Welwyn 10 77.52x
Clifton 9 83.33x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.58x
Dewsbury 9 4.10x
Fordingbridge 9 37.38x
Hound 9 29.94x
Lewisham 9 2.29x
St George Hanover Square 9 2.36x
St Peter Cambridge 9 195.65x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 9 9.05x
Aberdare 8 3.10x
Coedfrank 8 30.70x
Ringwood 8 28.24x
St Helens 8 24.84x
West Derby 8 1.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 123
Sarah 73
Elizabeth 68
Ann 41
Emma 38
Jane 38
Ellen 36
Eliza 35
Alice 33
Annie 30
Charlotte 24
Emily 24
Louisa 24
Martha 21
Agnes 16
Harriet 16
Fanny 14
Hannah 14
Susan 14
Edith 13
Kate 13
Catherine 12
Clara 12
Amelia 10
Florence 10
Maria 10
Ada 9
Caroline 9
Frances 9
Rose 9
Anne 8
Lucy 8
Jessie 7
Matilda 6
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Harriett 5
Helen 5
Isabella 5
Minnie 5
Bessie 4
Betsy 4
Esther 4
Ethel 4
Grace 4
Lizzie 4
Rosina 4
Sophia 4
Violet 4
Mabel 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 146
George 93
John 90
Charles 76
James 62
Thomas 47
Henry 42
Alfred 36
Frederick 28
Joseph 27
Edward 24
Arthur 22
Robert 20
Albert 18
Samuel 15
Walter 15
David 13
Edwin 13
Richard 13
Ernest 10
Herbert 10
Frank 7
Harry 7
Isaac 7
Edmund 6
Jesse 6
Stephen 6
Francis 5
Wm. 5
Abraham 4
Conrad 4
Frederic 4
Henery 4
Job 4
Sydney 4
Benjamin 3
Chas. 3
Frances 3
Nathaniel 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Earnest 2
Ebenezar 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Levi 2
Michael 2
R. 2

FAQ

Dear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,226 people were recorded with the Dear surname. That placed it at #1,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,790 in 2016. That gives Dear a modern rank of #2,417.

What does the Dear surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "deore," meaning beloved, precious, or of great value.

What does the Dear map show?

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