NameCensus.

UK surname

Geary

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 2,341 people recorded with the Geary surname, ranking it #1,896 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,200, ranked #2,124, down from #1,896 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Barwell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Geary is 3,479 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.7%.

1881 census count

2,341

Ranked #1,896

Modern count

3,200

2016, ranked #2,124

Peak year

2000

3,479 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Geary had 2,341 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,896 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,200 in 2016, ranked #2,124.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,131 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Geary surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Geary surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Geary 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 1,260 #2,263
1861 historical 1,334 #2,146
1881 historical 2,341 #1,896
1891 historical 2,272 #2,060
1901 historical 2,937 #1,906
1911 historical 3,131 #1,661
1997 modern 3,364 #1,920
1998 modern 3,471 #1,933
1999 modern 3,476 #1,953
2000 modern 3,479 #1,943
2001 modern 3,394 #1,947
2002 modern 3,479 #1,947
2003 modern 3,377 #1,961
2004 modern 3,350 #1,975
2005 modern 3,230 #2,014
2006 modern 3,263 #2,006
2007 modern 3,284 #2,022
2008 modern 3,327 #2,008
2009 modern 3,391 #2,021
2010 modern 3,450 #2,022
2011 modern 3,399 #2,028
2012 modern 3,278 #2,054
2013 modern 3,308 #2,075
2014 modern 3,307 #2,088
2015 modern 3,260 #2,097
2016 modern 3,200 #2,124

Geography

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Where Gearys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Barwell, London parishes, St Marylebone and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire, Milton Keynes and Charnwood. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Barwell Leicestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Milton Keynes 002 Milton Keynes
5 Charnwood 013 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Geary

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Geary

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Geary 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

Geary 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

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

Meaning and origin of Geary

The surname Geary has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name 'O Gadhra', which means 'descendant of the goat-keeper'. It is believed that the name originated in County Sligo, where the name was prominent among the Connacht dynasty that ruled the region during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled by Franciscan scholars in the 17th century. The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of County Sligo from the 14th century, indicating its widespread use in the region during that time.

As the name spread across Ireland, various spellings emerged, including Geary, Gearie, Gearey, and Gearry. Some of these variations were influenced by the Anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable historical figure with the surname Geary was Edmond Geary (1586-1637), an Irish Catholic priest who was executed during the English Reformation for his refusal to renounce his faith. Another was Sir Francis Geary (1810-1896), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The name also has a strong connection to the city of Cork, where a prominent family of merchants and landowners known as the Gearys rose to prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries. One member of this family, John Geary (1794-1873), was a successful businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Cork's infrastructure and public works.

In the United States, the name Geary became associated with John White Geary (1819-1873), a politician and military leader who served as the Governor of Pennsylvania and as a Union general during the American Civil War. Another notable American with the surname was John Geary (1888-1958), a labor leader and one of the founding members of the American Federation of Labor.

Throughout history, the surname Geary has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, military personnel, businessmen, and political figures, reflecting its deep roots and widespread presence across Ireland and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Geary families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Geary 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 481 Gearys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 481 2.11x
Leicestershire 421 16.62x
Surrey 179 1.61x
Staffordshire 133 1.72x
Lancashire 122 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 106 7.67x
Hampshire 72 1.54x
Hertfordshire 66 4.19x
Kent 63 0.81x
Northamptonshire 60 2.79x
Yorkshire 57 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 52 1.69x
Bedfordshire 50 4.23x
Warwickshire 44 0.76x
Essex 40 0.89x
Gloucestershire 37 0.83x
Glamorgan 34 0.85x
Sussex 34 0.88x
Lanarkshire 31 0.42x
Durham 27 0.40x
Derbyshire 26 0.73x
Monmouthshire 24 1.45x
Devon 18 0.38x
Shropshire 18 0.91x
Dorset 16 1.07x
Renfrewshire 16 0.90x
Channel Islands 13 1.92x
Cornwall 10 0.39x
Herefordshire 10 1.07x
Suffolk 10 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 9 1.98x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.38x
Berkshire 8 0.47x
Cheshire 8 0.16x
Royal Navy 8 2.94x
Somerset 8 0.22x
Lincolnshire 7 0.19x
Oxfordshire 4 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.21x
Worcestershire 3 0.10x
Angus 2 0.09x
Isle of Man 2 0.47x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barwell in Leicestershire leads with 78 Gearys recorded in 1881 and an index of 582.09x.

Place Total Index
Barwell 78 582.09x
Leicester St Margaret 69 11.17x
St Marylebone London 52 4.26x
Bethnal Green London 45 4.53x
Hackney London 44 3.44x
Croydon 36 5.83x
Kingswinford 34 12.14x
Ratby 33 260.05x
Burton Upon Trent 32 17.74x
St Pancras London 29 1.58x
Leicester St Mary 28 13.68x
Bermondsey 27 3.97x
Mile End Old Town London 26 5.35x
Lambeth 25 1.26x
Paddington London 25 2.98x
Shoreditch London 25 2.52x
St George Hanover Square 24 5.96x
Aston 23 1.45x
Battersea 23 2.74x
Camberwell 23 1.58x
Everton 23 2.66x
Isleworth 23 22.64x
Anstey 22 219.78x
Barton Under Needwood 22 157.03x
Berkhampstead 22 62.15x
Narborough 22 317.00x
Northchurch 21 124.93x
Hanslope 20 161.16x
Turweston 20 836.82x
Great Missenden 19 111.63x
Islington London 19 0.86x
Thornton 19 562.13x
Kensington London 17 1.34x
Bisley 15 36.95x
Markfield 15 119.43x
Nottingham St Mary 15 1.88x
Barrow Upon Soar 14 66.92x
Bedwellty 14 4.80x
Hawnes 14 191.78x
Newport Pagnell 14 48.48x
Peterborough 14 9.00x
Radford 14 8.95x
Ringwood 14 46.73x
Glasgow 13 0.99x
Great Barford 13 211.04x
Bow London 12 4.13x
Brighton 12 1.54x
Cardiff St Mary 12 5.48x
Hinckley 12 19.97x
Mile End New Town London 12 26.58x
Birmingham 11 0.57x
Dadlington 11 814.81x
Eastbourne 11 6.21x
Great Doddington 11 236.05x
Hugglescote 11 29.52x
Leyton Low 11 12.00x
South Weald 11 28.48x
St Helier 11 4.99x
Whitechapel London 11 4.88x
Alverstoke 10 5.90x
Livesey 10 21.02x
Lowestoft 10 7.61x
Newtown Linford 10 263.85x
Ratcliffe London 10 7.93x
Wellingborough 10 9.26x
Chadderton 9 6.79x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 11.07x
Hemsworth 9 69.18x
Ryhill 9 144.69x
St Sepulchre London 9 26.91x
Belgrave 8 13.99x
East Greenock 8 4.79x
Longfleet 8 46.06x
Pendlebury 8 13.98x
Peterhead 8 7.15x
Royal Navy 8 3.44x
Stockton On Tees 8 2.44x
Tipton 8 3.39x
Tring 8 19.03x
Willesden 8 3.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 173
Elizabeth 100
Sarah 78
Ann 49
Ellen 44
Alice 39
Emma 36
Jane 33
Annie 32
Margaret 32
Eliza 30
Emily 26
Kate 20
Catherine 18
Florence 18
Harriet 15
Martha 15
Bridget 14
Charlotte 13
Fanny 13
Hannah 13
Louisa 13
Clara 11
Maria 11
Caroline 10
Susan 10
Anne 9
Lucy 9
Sophia 9
Agnes 8
Edith 8
Frances 8
Susannah 8
Ada 7
Elizth. 7
Lydia 7
Rose 7
Esther 6
Amy 5
Gertrude 5
Henrietta 5
Nellie 5
Amelia 4
Beatrice 4
Ethel 4
Flora 4
Harriett 4
Laura 4
Lizzie 4
Miriam 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 146
John 130
James 75
George 74
Thomas 72
Charles 48
Joseph 46
Henry 41
Alfred 31
Edward 27
Arthur 26
Frederick 22
Walter 19
Samuel 17
Harry 13
Michael 13
Robert 12
Albert 11
Edwin 11
Patrick 11
Frank 10
Richard 10
Francis 8
Wm. 8
Benjamin 6
Daniel 6
David 6
Herbert 6
Elias 5
Ernest 5
Fredrick 5
Elijah 4
Fredk. 4
Isaiah 4
Maurice 4
Oliver 4
Thos. 4
Amos 3
Christopher 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Jno. 3
Luke 3
Nicholas 3
Philip 3
Sam 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Morris 2
Zachariah 2

FAQ

Geary surname: questions and answers

How common was the Geary surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,341 people were recorded with the Geary surname. That placed it at #1,896 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Geary surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,200 in 2016. That gives Geary a modern rank of #2,124.

What does the Geary surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Geary map show?

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