NameCensus.

UK surname

Miers

A topographic surname referring to someone living near wetlands or bogs.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Miers surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Thorner and Cayton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Rother and Mole Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Miers is 209 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.4%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

2005

209 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Miers had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 201 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Miers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Miers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Miers 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 201 #10,364
1861 historical 150 #15,296
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 171 #16,733
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 140 #18,657
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 204 #17,987
2001 modern 195 #18,215
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 192 #18,568
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 209 #17,629
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 195 #18,799
2008 modern 196 #18,895
2009 modern 199 #19,090
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 192 #19,797
2012 modern 197 #19,408
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Miers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Thorner, Cayton and Barnoldswick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Rother and Mole Valley. 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 Thorner Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Cayton Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Barnoldswick Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 021 Swansea
2 Rother 003 Rother
3 Mole Valley 004 Mole Valley
4 Swansea 010 Swansea
5 Swansea 014 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Miers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Miers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Miers, 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 Miers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Miers 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Miers is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Miers 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

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

Meaning and origin of Miers

The surname Miers has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mere," meaning a boundary, border, or territorial limit. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone living near a border or boundary line.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miers can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named Richard de Meres is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Meres," is thought to be an early form of the modern surname Miers.

During the Middle Ages, the name Miers appeared in various historical records across different counties in England. For instance, in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, a person named Walter atte Mere is listed. The prefix "atte" was commonly used at the time to denote someone living near a specific location or landmark.

In the 14th century, the surname Miers began to appear in its more modern spelling. The Patent Rolls of 1348 mention a person named John Miers, who was granted land in the county of Somerset. This is one of the earliest known instances of the name being spelled in its current form.

One notable individual bearing the surname Miers was Sir Thomas Miers (c. 1550-1612), an English soldier and politician who served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1600. Another historical figure was John Miers (1789-1879), a British botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of South American flora.

Other notable individuals with the surname Miers include:

1. Sir George Miers (1778-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. 2. Edward Miers (1821-1897), an English lawyer and entomologist known for his work on the taxonomy of beetles. 3. Martha Miers (1843-1912), an English educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and higher education. 4. Roger Miers (1907-1988), a British actor and playwright who appeared in numerous films and television shows. 5. Paul Miers (born 1965), an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public installations.

It is worth noting that the surname Miers has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Mere in Wiltshire and Mears Ashby in Northamptonshire. These place names may have influenced the development and regional variations of the surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Miers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Miers 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. Yorkshire leads with 47 Miers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.72x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 47 2.72x
Middlesex 25 1.43x
Derbyshire 18 6.58x
Durham 14 2.70x
Kent 14 2.35x
Glamorgan 11 3.62x
Surrey 10 1.18x
Lancashire 9 0.43x
Cumberland 8 5.32x
Flintshire 5 10.65x
Pembrokeshire 5 9.01x
Devon 4 1.10x
Brecknockshire 2 5.73x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.85x
Cornwall 1 0.51x
Essex 1 0.29x
Oxfordshire 1 0.93x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x
Warwickshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarcroft in Yorkshire leads with 16 Miers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9411.76x.

Place Total Index
Scarcroft 16 9411.76x
Caytn Deepdal Kilrby 11 2972.97x
Beckenham 8 102.70x
Bishopwearmouth 8 17.94x
Hensingham 8 650.41x
St Pancras London 8 5.69x
Wirksworth 8 321.29x
Kensington London 7 7.21x
Lambeth 7 4.60x
Bishop Auckland 6 86.08x
Falsgrave 6 235.29x
Llansamlet Higher 6 264.32x
Buxton 5 216.45x
Hawarden 5 135.50x
Tenby St Mary In 5 177.31x
Toxteth Park 5 7.13x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 4 67.57x
Reynoldston 4 2105.26x
St Marylebone London 4 4.29x
Ashborne 3 161.29x
Folkestone 3 25.95x
Leeds 3 3.07x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 12.82x
Derby St Werburgh 2 12.67x
Eltham 2 57.31x
Hackney London 2 2.04x
Honley 2 66.01x
Llywel 2 266.67x
Nottingham St Mary 2 3.29x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 7.14x
St George Bloomsbury 2 19.96x
Aston 1 0.82x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.55x
Battersea 1 1.56x
Bradford 1 2.39x
Burton Extra 1 29.59x
Caterham 1 26.60x
Chelsea London 1 1.90x
Clapham 1 4.58x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.43x
Exeter St Leonard 1 101.01x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 8.98x
Hindley 1 11.33x
Honiton 1 49.75x
Horsforth 1 26.39x
Lewisham 1 3.15x
Oxford St Giles 1 19.46x
Rawmarsh 1 16.37x
Rhyndwyclydach 1 47.39x
St Clement 1 48.54x
Upminster 1 138.89x
Wakefield 1 7.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Annie 8
Elizabeth 8
Jane 8
Hannah 4
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Cecilia 1
Celina 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Daughter 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Emmaline 1
Faith 1
Florence 1
Glwadys 1
Gwenllian 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jennie 1
Johanna 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lillie 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Mawd 1
Mrs. 1
Pattie 1
Rosanna 1
Vera 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 8
George 5
Henry 5
James 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Capel 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Percy 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Edwin 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Norman 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Simeon 1
Walter 1
Wm.G. 1
Wm.Percy 1

FAQ

Miers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Miers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Miers surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Miers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Miers a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Miers surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near wetlands or bogs.

What does the Miers map show?

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