NameCensus.

UK surname

Mearing

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Mearing surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87, ranked #32,476, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Finchamstead, London parishes and Eversley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reigate and Banstead, Sutton and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mearing is 198 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 32.0%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

87

2016, ranked #32,476

Peak year

1911

198 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Mearing had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016, ranked #32,476.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mearing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mearing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mearing 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 114 #15,716
1861 historical 82 #23,321
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 190 #15,634
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 87 #32,476

Geography

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Where Mearings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Finchamstead, London parishes, Eversley and Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reigate and Banstead, Sutton, South Cambridgeshire, Cheshire East and South Northamptonshire. 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 Finchamstead Berkshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Eversley Hampshire
4 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reigate and Banstead 018 Reigate and Banstead
2 Sutton 006 Sutton
3 South Cambridgeshire 001 South Cambridgeshire
4 Cheshire East 010 Cheshire East
5 South Northamptonshire 008 South Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mearing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mearing

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

Mearing is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mearing falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Mearing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mearing 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. Berkshire leads with 47 Mearings recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.15x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 47 50.15x
Middlesex 32 2.56x
Surrey 25 4.11x
Hampshire 13 5.08x
Dorset 7 8.54x
Oxfordshire 2 2.59x
Devon 1 0.38x
Glamorgan 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Reading St Mary in Berkshire leads with 15 Mearings recorded in 1881 and an index of 199.73x.

Place Total Index
Reading St Mary 15 199.73x
Shinfield 14 2545.45x
Finchampstead 13 4642.86x
Ash Normandy 8 963.86x
Bromley London 7 25.48x
Stoke 7 243.90x
Chelsea London 5 13.29x
Christchurch 5 90.09x
Hackney London 5 7.14x
Holdenhurst 5 74.52x
Spetisbury 5 2173.91x
St Pancras London 5 4.98x
Fulham London 3 16.57x
Hillingdon 3 75.38x
Tilehurst 3 158.73x
Carshalton 2 85.84x
Crondall 2 145.99x
Horley 2 196.08x
Islington London 2 1.65x
Kingston On Thames 2 13.69x
Rotherfield Peppard 2 952.38x
Sutton 2 45.45x
Aldershot 1 11.67x
Camberwell 1 1.25x
Hamworthy 1 344.83x
Llandaff 1 13.83x
Reading St Giles 1 10.87x
St George Martyr 1 47.62x
St Marylebone London 1 1.50x
Sturminster Marshall 1 294.12x
Sunninghill 1 76.92x
Wandsworth 1 8.32x
Winkleigh 1 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Martha 4
Lydia 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Colnes 1
Elizibeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Miriam 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mearing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mearing surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Mearing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016. That gives Mearing a modern rank of #32,476.

What does the Mearing map show?

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