NameCensus.

UK surname

Gear

An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "gearwe", meaning outfit or equipment.

In the 1881 census there were 1,114 people recorded with the Gear surname, ranking it #3,580 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,392, ranked #4,358, down from #3,580 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Berryn Arbor and Misterton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge, Central Shetland and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gear is 1,448 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

1,114

Ranked #3,580

Modern count

1,392

2016, ranked #4,358

Peak year

2002

1,448 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gear had 1,114 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,580 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,392 in 2016, ranked #4,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,433 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gear surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gear 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 743 #3,550
1861 historical 762 #3,591
1881 historical 1,114 #3,580
1891 historical 1,212 #3,542
1901 historical 1,433 #3,547
1911 historical 1,427 #3,386
1997 modern 1,378 #4,190
1998 modern 1,438 #4,192
1999 modern 1,423 #4,242
2000 modern 1,391 #4,309
2001 modern 1,375 #4,273
2002 modern 1,448 #4,184
2003 modern 1,410 #4,201
2004 modern 1,390 #4,249
2005 modern 1,377 #4,251
2006 modern 1,357 #4,300
2007 modern 1,364 #4,321
2008 modern 1,364 #4,342
2009 modern 1,405 #4,321
2010 modern 1,407 #4,385
2011 modern 1,392 #4,380
2012 modern 1,354 #4,413
2013 modern 1,406 #4,354
2014 modern 1,409 #4,370
2015 modern 1,396 #4,359
2016 modern 1,392 #4,358

Geography

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Where Gears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Berryn Arbor, Misterton and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge, Central Shetland, North Devon, Swansea and Lerwick South. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Berryn Arbor Devon
4 Misterton Dorset
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife
2 Central Shetland Shetland Islands
3 North Devon 011 North Devon
4 Swansea 019 Swansea
5 Lerwick South Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gear

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gear household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gear 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

Gear 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

Gear 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 Gear 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 Gear, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gear

The surname GEAR is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "gær" meaning "spear" or "javelin." It likely originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of spears during the Anglo-Saxon period.

GEAR is also believed to have been an early variant spelling of the more common surname "GERE," which was derived from the Old English personal name "Gær," meaning "spear." This personal name was frequently used by the Anglo-Saxons and was later adopted as a surname.

The earliest known record of the surname GEAR dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, compiled in 1273, there is mention of a John le Gere, who was likely a spearmaker or spear seller.

Another early reference to the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Walter le Gere is listed. This suggests that the name was present in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

One notable individual with the surname GEAR was John Gear, a 16th-century English philosopher and theologian. Born in Norfolk around 1520, he was a Protestant reformer and authored several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Gear, a 17th-century English merchant and politician. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1646 and played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentary cause.

In the 18th century, John Gear was a renowned English surveyor and cartographer. He produced detailed maps of various counties in England, including Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, which were highly regarded for their accuracy and precision.

The surname GEAR was also associated with place names in England, such as Gearside in Northumberland, and Gearston in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname GEAR who once lived or owned land in those areas.

One of the more prominent figures with the surname GEAR was Henry Edmund Gear, a 19th-century English engineer and inventor. Born in 1825, he designed and patented several important innovations in the field of mechanical engineering, including improvements to steam engines and printing presses.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gear 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. Hampshire leads with 131 Gears recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.86x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 131 5.86x
Middlesex 116 1.06x
Devon 107 4.71x
Somerset 100 5.70x
Surrey 94 1.77x
Shetland 87 78.11x
Dorset 68 9.50x
Glamorgan 45 2.37x
Kent 45 1.21x
Sussex 33 1.79x
Hertfordshire 30 3.99x
Lancashire 20 0.15x
Warwickshire 19 0.69x
Berkshire 17 2.08x
Monmouthshire 16 2.03x
Essex 15 0.70x
Wiltshire 15 1.56x
Lanarkshire 14 0.40x
Bedfordshire 13 2.30x
Northamptonshire 12 1.17x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.82x
Shropshire 11 1.17x
Worcestershire 8 0.56x
Yorkshire 8 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 7 1.52x
Cornwall 7 0.57x
East Lothian 7 4.85x
Midlothian 7 0.48x
Durham 6 0.18x
Gloucestershire 6 0.28x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.50x
Anglesey 5 2.59x
Royal Navy 5 3.85x
Staffordshire 5 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 4 1.85x
Norfolk 4 0.24x
Lincolnshire 3 0.17x
Northumberland 3 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.58x
Angus 1 0.10x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.42x
Oxfordshire 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nesting Lunnas Whalsay in Shetland leads with 69 Gears recorded in 1881 and an index of 703.36x.

Place Total Index
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 69 703.36x
Millbrook 28 49.73x
Lambeth 24 2.52x
Yeovil 22 61.68x
Musbury 21 1055.28x
Berrynarbor 18 697.67x
Hertford St John 17 151.79x
Hursley 16 308.29x
Misterton 16 642.57x
Newington 16 3.97x
St Marylebone London 15 2.58x
Romsey Extra 13 97.82x
Clapham 12 8.80x
Crewkerne 12 64.38x
Dalziel 12 31.63x
Birmingham 11 1.20x
Fremington 11 238.61x
North Meols 11 8.68x
Nottingham St Mary 11 2.89x
Reigate Foreign 11 19.12x
Steventon 11 1018.52x
Westminster St Margaret 11 20.91x
Yardley Gobion 11 500.00x
North Perrott 10 826.45x
Burton Bradstock 9 254.96x
Earley 9 65.98x
Paddington London 9 2.24x
Bothenhampton 8 400.00x
Camberwell 8 1.15x
Ebbesborne Wake 8 792.08x
Fingrinhoe 8 655.74x
Portland 8 20.78x
Portsea 8 1.83x
Shrewsbury St Mary 8 21.52x
St Giles In Fields London 8 14.95x
St Pancras London 8 0.91x
Swanscombe 8 47.85x
Walls 8 148.15x
East Grinstead 7 26.89x
Frampton 7 445.86x
Ilfracombe 7 29.95x
Ilminster 7 57.10x
Islington London 7 0.66x
Llanelly 7 6.76x
Mile End Old Town London 7 3.02x
Newport 7 18.61x
Rugby 7 18.81x
Southampton St Mary 7 4.98x
Uplyme 7 205.88x
Walcot 7 7.49x
West Down 7 351.76x
Wonston 7 270.27x
Acton 6 9.39x
Beaminster 6 75.38x
Bower Chalk 6 382.17x
Brasted 6 124.48x
Bromley London 6 2.50x
Cardiff St Mary 6 5.74x
Holdenhurst 6 10.23x
Lerwick Gulberwick 6 34.80x
Lindfield 6 77.22x
Llangyfelach 6 84.39x
Roath 6 6.96x
Sheffield 6 1.74x
South Stoneham 6 12.37x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.12x
Stockland 6 182.93x
Swansea Town 6 3.85x
Upper Llanvrechva 6 48.98x
Wambrook 6 612.24x
Westminster St John 6 4.52x
Westoe 6 3.26x
Bedford St Paul 5 12.91x
Braunton 5 64.94x
Penderry 5 148.37x
Royal Navy 5 4.50x
Sutton Bingham 5 2631.58x
Swansea Higher 5 25.28x
Tottenham 5 2.88x
Worcester Blockhouse 5 63.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Elizabeth 45
Sarah 31
Eliza 28
Ann 22
Alice 19
Ellen 18
Emily 18
Jane 16
Annie 14
Emma 11
Martha 11
Susan 10
Catherine 8
Charlotte 8
Louisa 8
Florence 7
Kate 7
Bessie 6
Harriet 6
Lucy 6
Amelia 5
Fanny 5
Maria 5
Ada 4
Frances 4
Isabella 4
Matilda 4
Rose 4
Anna 3
Edith 3
Ethel 3
Julia 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Celia 2
E. 2
Eliz. 2
Elizth.Ann 2
Eva 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Lillis 2
Maud 2
Nellie 2
Rebecca 2
Rosina 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 52
George 47
John 45
Henry 35
James 34
Charles 31
Thomas 26
Edward 15
Alfred 13
Joseph 12
Walter 12
Arthur 11
Robert 9
Frederick 8
Richard 7
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Francis 6
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Matthew 5
Sidney 5
Chas. 4
David 4
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Abraham 3
Edwin 3
Eli 3
Mathew 3
Benjamin 2
Charlie 2
Emanuel 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Lewis 2
Michael 2
Adolphus 1
Angus 1
Charley 1
Donald 1
Earnest 1
Edmon 1
Edmund 1
Edwd.J. 1
Gilbert 1
Jas.E. 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Jonah 1
Wm.Fredrick 1

FAQ

Gear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,114 people were recorded with the Gear surname. That placed it at #3,580 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,392 in 2016. That gives Gear a modern rank of #4,358.

What does the Gear surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "gearwe", meaning outfit or equipment.

What does the Gear map show?

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