NameCensus.

UK surname

Pearman

An occupational surname referring to a pear grower or seller of pears.

In the 1881 census there were 1,430 people recorded with the Pearman surname, ranking it #2,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,618, ranked #3,849, down from #2,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Yardley and Datchworth, Knebworth, Aston, Bennington, Watton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, West Oxfordshire and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pearman is 1,895 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.1%.

1881 census count

1,430

Ranked #2,914

Modern count

1,618

2016, ranked #3,849

Peak year

1911

1,895 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pearman had 1,430 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,618 in 2016, ranked #3,849.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,895 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pearman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pearman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pearman 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 885 #3,092
1861 historical 879 #3,157
1881 historical 1,430 #2,914
1891 historical 1,532 #2,880
1901 historical 1,809 #2,897
1911 historical 1,895 #2,610
1997 modern 1,729 #3,448
1998 modern 1,807 #3,438
1999 modern 1,818 #3,440
2000 modern 1,772 #3,509
2001 modern 1,728 #3,523
2002 modern 1,791 #3,476
2003 modern 1,751 #3,484
2004 modern 1,740 #3,499
2005 modern 1,688 #3,562
2006 modern 1,673 #3,593
2007 modern 1,660 #3,651
2008 modern 1,659 #3,675
2009 modern 1,657 #3,769
2010 modern 1,679 #3,803
2011 modern 1,691 #3,723
2012 modern 1,629 #3,777
2013 modern 1,692 #3,723
2014 modern 1,681 #3,755
2015 modern 1,639 #3,812
2016 modern 1,618 #3,849

Geography

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Where Pearmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Yardley, Datchworth, Knebworth, Aston, Bennington, Watton and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, West Oxfordshire and Wealden. 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 Yardley Hertfordshire
4 Datchworth, Knebworth, Aston, Bennington, Watton Hertfordshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 West Oxfordshire 002 West Oxfordshire
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 010 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 007 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Wealden 019 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pearman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pearman

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pearman is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pearman is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pearman falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pearman

The surname Pearman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "pere" meaning pear and "mann" meaning man. It likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who grew or sold pears, or perhaps worked in an orchard cultivating pear trees.

The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century, with one of the earliest examples being Robert le Perman, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1197. Variants of the spelling at the time included Pereman, Perman, and Perreman.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was found scattered across various counties in England, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire. It is possible that some instances of the name were derived from place names containing the word "pear," such as Perton in Staffordshire or Pershore in Worcestershire.

One notable figure with this surname was John Pearman, a member of the English Parliament who represented Gloucestershire in 1340. Another was Thomas Pearman, a wealthy landowner from Buckinghamshire who lived during the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Pearman family was well-established in the county of Norfolk, with records showing several members holding positions of prominence within the local community. One such individual was William Pearman, who served as a churchwarden in the village of Salle in the 1570s.

As the centuries progressed, the Pearman surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, with individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in various fields. For example, in the 18th century, there was a renowned architect named John Pearman who designed several notable buildings in London.

Other notable individuals with this surname include Sir Richard Pearman, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, and Robert Pearman, a Victorian-era painter whose works were displayed at the Royal Academy in the late 1800s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pearman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pearman 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 271 Pearmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 271 1.94x
Hertfordshire 180 18.67x
Surrey 140 2.05x
Essex 118 4.27x
Warwickshire 110 3.12x
Suffolk 74 4.34x
Hampshire 67 2.34x
Worcestershire 67 3.67x
Norfolk 62 2.88x
Oxfordshire 48 5.56x
Cambridgeshire 43 4.85x
Staffordshire 39 0.83x
Kent 34 0.71x
Gloucestershire 24 0.87x
Bedfordshire 20 2.76x
Lincolnshire 15 0.67x
Yorkshire 15 0.11x
Herefordshire 13 2.27x
Sussex 12 0.51x
Buckinghamshire 10 1.18x
Angus 9 0.69x
Durham 9 0.22x
Berkshire 8 0.76x
Lancashire 5 0.03x
Wiltshire 5 0.40x
Derbyshire 4 0.18x
Glamorgan 4 0.16x
Monmouthshire 4 0.40x
Somerset 4 0.18x
Channel Islands 3 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.62x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.45x
Stirlingshire 2 0.39x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.36x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Devon 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Rutland 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 36 Pearmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.66x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 36 2.66x
Walkern 32 788.18x
Birmingham 28 2.38x
Ashdon 27 671.64x
Camberwell 25 2.80x
Kensington London 25 3.21x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 25 38.72x
Bassingbourn 21 161.29x
Glemsford 21 175.44x
Coventry Holy Trinity 20 18.99x
St Marylebone London 20 2.68x
Dullingham 19 477.39x
Kirtlington 19 552.33x
Bethnal Green London 17 2.80x
Offley 17 271.13x
Hackney London 15 1.91x
Hemel Hempstead 15 34.53x
Lambeth 15 1.23x
Luton 15 11.96x
Sherfield Upon Loddon 15 488.60x
Walsall Foreign 15 6.15x
Aston 14 1.44x
Chelsea London 14 3.32x
Coventry St Michael 14 12.35x
Goring 14 283.40x
West Ham 14 2.30x
Ardeley 13 548.52x
Bennington 13 469.31x
Marham 13 361.11x
Newington 13 2.52x
Richmond 13 13.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 4.62x
St Luke London 13 5.79x
Bromsgrove 12 19.52x
Leckhampton 12 71.01x
Paddington London 12 2.33x
Westminster St 12 23.27x
East Donyland 11 165.41x
Hammersmith London 11 3.19x
Hatfield 11 56.27x
Herriard 11 567.01x
Kingston On Thames 11 6.72x
Poplar London 11 4.17x
Alverstoke 10 9.64x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 10 19.86x
Hereford All Sts 10 38.05x
Lavenham 10 112.23x
Long Melford 10 63.17x
Mildenhall 10 55.25x
Alton 9 41.65x
Dartford 9 18.44x
Dundee 9 1.86x
Eton 9 46.95x
Great Dunmow 9 62.54x
Little Bradley 9 1956.52x
Stevenage 9 60.20x
Wheathampstead 9 80.79x
Bishopwearmouth 8 2.24x
Bromley London 8 2.60x
Croydon 8 2.11x
Datchworth 8 266.67x
Lutley 8 909.09x
Manningtree 8 178.17x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 8 25.43x
Thames Ditton 8 56.50x
Battersea 7 1.36x
Chipping Norton 7 35.05x
Epsom 7 21.07x
Fillongley 7 139.17x
Hatfield Broad Oak 7 75.11x
Saffron Walden 7 23.99x
St Andrew Holborn 7 14.76x
St George Hanover 7 3.83x
Tottenham 7 3.14x
Walthamstow 7 7.04x
Acton 6 7.32x
Clothall 6 298.51x
Gillingham 6 6.10x
Sandridge 6 148.15x
Stourbridge 6 12.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 81
Sarah 68
Elizabeth 47
Emma 28
Eliza 26
Jane 24
Ellen 21
Ann 20
Emily 19
Alice 16
Charlotte 15
Edith 13
Kate 13
Susan 13
Annie 12
Louisa 12
Ada 11
Martha 11
Sophia 11
Florence 10
Caroline 8
Rose 8
Frances 7
Hannah 7
Maria 7
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Julia 6
Lucy 6
Amelia 5
Henrietta 5
Rosa 5
Agnes 4
Clara 4
Esther 4
Jessie 4
Lizzie 4
Rebecca 4
Susannah 4
Amy 3
Elizth. 3
Flora 3
Francis 3
Georgina 3
Margaret 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3
Selina 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 78
John 72
George 43
Thomas 43
James 39
Charles 31
Henry 28
Alfred 27
Arthur 27
Joseph 21
Edward 19
Robert 19
Walter 19
Albert 17
Frederick 13
Harry 13
Richard 12
Edwin 8
Ernest 8
Frank 8
Samuel 7
Herbert 6
Thos. 6
Wm. 6
Daniel 5
David 5
Francis 5
Geo. 4
Isaac 4
Benjamin 3
Earnest 3
Frederic 3
Horace 3
Jesse 3
Mark 3
Peter 3
Will. 3
Abraham 2
Adam 2
Chas. 2
Cornelius 2
F. 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Job 2
Josiah 2
Leonard 2
Norman 2
Saml. 2
Willm. 2

FAQ

Pearman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pearman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,430 people were recorded with the Pearman surname. That placed it at #2,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pearman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,618 in 2016. That gives Pearman a modern rank of #3,849.

What does the Pearman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a pear grower or seller of pears.

What does the Pearman map show?

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