NameCensus.

UK surname

Meares

A locational surname derived from the word "mere", meaning a boundary or dividing line.

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Meares surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 174, ranked #21,466, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bramley, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Charnwood and Bexley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meares is 174 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.9%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

174

2016, ranked #21,466

Peak year

2009

174 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meares had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016, ranked #21,466.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 150 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Meares surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meares surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meares 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 104 #16,746
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 117 #21,658
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 150 #17,866
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 163 #20,698
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 165 #20,401
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 170 #20,672
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 174 #21,466

Geography

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Where Meares' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bramley, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Charnwood, Bexley and Bromley. 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 Bramley Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
2 Charnwood 008 Charnwood
3 Bexley 021 Bexley
4 Bromley 001 Bromley
5 Rotherham 001 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meares

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meares

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

Meares is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meares falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meares is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Meares

The surname Meares is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "mere," meaning a boundary or border. It is believed that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a boundary or border area.

The earliest recorded instances of the Meares surname date back to the 13th century, with a mention of a Robert de la Mere in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273. The "de la" prefix indicates that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place.

During the medieval period, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Mere, Meres, and Meyre, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John de la Mere, a 14th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire.

The Meares surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Mears Ashby in Northamptonshire and Mears Beck in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "mere" and "bæc," meaning a stream or brook near a boundary.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of Meares. One notable figure from this period was John Meares (1564-1636), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Winwick, Lancashire.

Other notable individuals with the Meares surname include:

1. John Meares (1756-1809), an English maritime fur trader and explorer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America in the late 18th century.

2. Richard Meares (1624-1683), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.

3. Ethel Meares (1879-1952), an Australian psychologist and pioneer in the field of psychotherapy, known for her work on the Meares-Fernald theory of personality development.

4. Edward Meares (1619-1677), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Spiritual Conflict and Conquest" (1659).

5. Thomas Meares (1824-1874), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed the coastal regions of British Columbia and Alaska in the mid-19th century.

The Meares surname has a rich historical background, reflecting its origins as a locational name associated with boundary areas and its evolution over the centuries through various spellings and bearers of the name across different fields and professions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meares families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meares 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 46 Meares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.68x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 46 3.68x
Hampshire 19 7.42x
Somerset 17 8.46x
Suffolk 7 4.60x
Hertfordshire 6 6.97x
Yorkshire 6 0.48x
Kent 5 1.17x
Lancashire 5 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 5 12.60x
Devon 2 0.77x
Surrey 2 0.33x
Sussex 2 0.95x
Cheshire 1 0.36x
Dorset 1 1.22x
Gloucestershire 1 0.41x
Lincolnshire 1 0.50x
Norfolk 1 0.52x
Worcestershire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 27 Meares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.57x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 27 38.57x
Wincanton 11 1067.96x
Alverstoke 7 75.59x
Bromley London 7 25.48x
St Helens 6 322.58x
Bow London 5 31.45x
Bridlington 5 176.68x
Lambston 5 5555.56x
Hemel Hempstead 4 103.09x
Hindley 4 63.29x
Preston Next Faversham 4 400.00x
St George Hanover 4 24.54x
Ipswich St Helen 3 166.67x
Wilton 3 576.92x
Elstree 2 714.29x
Horsington 2 625.00x
Ipswich St Clement 2 51.68x
Ipswich St Peter 2 97.56x
St Mary Le Strand 2 500.00x
Tormoham 2 18.18x
Barnes 1 38.91x
Bedminster 1 5.29x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 12.24x
Christchurch 1 18.02x
Church Lawton 1 285.71x
Dorchester All Sts 1 256.41x
Farnborough 1 37.17x
Great Steeping 1 909.09x
Great Yarmouth 1 6.29x
Holdenhurst 1 14.90x
Horsted Keynes 1 204.08x
Lambeth 1 0.92x
Lewes St John Southover 1 70.92x
Lewisham 1 4.40x
Manningham 1 6.56x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.67x
Pershore St Andrew 1 111.11x
Sherborne St John 1 357.14x
Southampton 1 500.00x
St Thomas Winchester 1 55.25x
Towerof London London 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ellen 5
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Harriett 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Augusta 1
Dorothy 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emilyell 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Pemily 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rosalie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
William 7
Henry 4
John 4
James 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Hugh 2
Louis 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Andrew 1
Aubry 1
Bertram 1
Chas. 1
Cracknell 1
Geo. 1
Haris 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Merryn 1
Noel 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Meares surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meares surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Meares surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meares surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016. That gives Meares a modern rank of #21,466.

What does the Meares surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the word "mere", meaning a boundary or dividing line.

What does the Meares map show?

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