NameCensus.

UK surname

Peart

Derived from a Middle English term for a person who appears gentle or well-mannered.

In the 1881 census there were 1,701 people recorded with the Peart surname, ranking it #2,530 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,114, ranked #2,169, up from #2,530 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walsingham, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Eden and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peart is 3,326 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.1%.

1881 census count

1,701

Ranked #2,530

Modern count

3,114

2016, ranked #2,169

Peak year

2010

3,326 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peart had 1,701 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,530 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,114 in 2016, ranked #2,169.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,268 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Peart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peart 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 1,208 #2,363
1861 historical 1,108 #2,527
1881 historical 1,701 #2,530
1891 historical 1,845 #2,490
1901 historical 2,268 #2,389
1911 historical 2,248 #2,252
1997 modern 3,031 #2,118
1998 modern 3,175 #2,115
1999 modern 3,191 #2,120
2000 modern 3,154 #2,131
2001 modern 3,075 #2,138
2002 modern 3,186 #2,110
2003 modern 3,103 #2,114
2004 modern 3,100 #2,118
2005 modern 3,095 #2,086
2006 modern 3,118 #2,078
2007 modern 3,149 #2,080
2008 modern 3,171 #2,085
2009 modern 3,272 #2,078
2010 modern 3,326 #2,089
2011 modern 3,255 #2,104
2012 modern 3,156 #2,129
2013 modern 3,236 #2,119
2014 modern 3,221 #2,142
2015 modern 3,158 #2,155
2016 modern 3,114 #2,169

Geography

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Where Pearts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walsingham, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Alston and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Eden, Hartlepool and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Walsingham Durham
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 042 County Durham
2 Eden 001 Eden
3 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
4 County Durham 024 County Durham
5 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peart

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Peart is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Peart 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

Peart falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Peart

The surname Peart is of English origin, derived from a locational name for someone who lived near a pear tree. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the 12th century.

The name is derived from the Old English words "pere" meaning pear tree, and "ēard" meaning dwelling or homestead. It was initially spelled as Perert, Perart, or Perarde before evolving into its modern form, Peart.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1190, where a Robertus Perert is mentioned. Another early record is in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, which lists a John Peart.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with names containing the word "pere," indicating the presence of pear trees in those areas. This suggests that the surname Peart may have originated from people living near these locations.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Peart. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Peart (1505-1568), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was William Peart (1664-1726), a successful merchant and landowner in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. His descendants played a significant role in the development of the wool trade in that region.

In the 19th century, James Peart (1835-1908) was a prominent architect in Toronto, Canada, known for designing several notable buildings, including the Massey Music Hall and the Toronto Public Library.

More recently, Neil Peart (1952-2020) was a Canadian drummer and lyricist, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist for the rock band Rush. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

Another contemporary figure is the British author and broadcaster Janina Peart, whose works include the book "Outrunners" and the BBC Radio 4 series "Caught Shredding."

The surname Peart has a rich historical legacy, spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various professions and backgrounds, all connected by their shared surname derived from the humble pear tree.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peart 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. Durham leads with 550 Pearts recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.12x.

County Total Index
Durham 550 11.12x
Yorkshire 201 1.22x
Gloucestershire 173 5.30x
Lincolnshire 132 4.96x
Norfolk 87 3.40x
Middlesex 83 0.50x
Lancashire 74 0.37x
Northumberland 74 2.99x
Worcestershire 40 1.84x
Surrey 33 0.41x
Wiltshire 30 2.04x
Cumberland 29 2.03x
Warwickshire 28 0.67x
Staffordshire 19 0.34x
Berkshire 18 1.44x
Kent 17 0.30x
Suffolk 15 0.74x
Herefordshire 14 2.05x
Midlothian 10 0.45x
Essex 8 0.24x
Somerset 7 0.26x
Lanarkshire 6 0.11x
Ayrshire 5 0.40x
Hertfordshire 5 0.44x
Northamptonshire 5 0.32x
Hampshire 4 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.18x
Shropshire 4 0.28x
Channel Islands 3 0.61x
Cheshire 3 0.08x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Devon 3 0.09x
Leicestershire 3 0.16x
Westmorland 3 0.82x
Cornwall 2 0.11x
Renfrewshire 2 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.09x
Flintshire 1 0.22x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 0.50x
Sussex 1 0.04x
West Lothian 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stanhope in Durham leads with 251 Pearts recorded in 1881 and an index of 491.29x.

Place Total Index
Stanhope 251 491.29x
Wolsingham 36 79.82x
Crook Billy Row 31 48.92x
Bishop Auckland 28 42.18x
Swindon 24 21.04x
Blickling 22 1242.94x
Stranton 21 12.61x
Bishops Cleeve 20 241.84x
Holy Trinity 20 5.05x
Cheltenham 18 7.15x
Southwick 18 38.41x
Tynemouth 17 12.83x
Aston 16 1.39x
Hessle In Sculcoates 15 103.09x
Elswick 14 7.09x
Gateshead 14 3.78x
Mile End Old Town 14 5.33x
Gillingham 13 11.11x
Itteringham 13 710.38x
Leeds 13 1.40x
Tewkesbury 13 44.66x
Birmingham 12 0.86x
Cheetham 12 8.15x
Cirencester 12 27.17x
Frodingham 12 126.72x
Grainthorpe 12 300.75x
Sculcoates 12 4.59x
Shildon 12 30.18x
Alston 11 41.68x
Battersea 11 1.80x
Burringham 11 355.99x
Byers Green 11 78.80x
Wallsend 11 14.02x
Burnley 10 6.02x
Castleton 10 5.07x
Great Grimsby 10 5.92x
Handsworth 10 7.23x
Stoke Newington London 10 7.72x
Worcester St John 10 38.55x
Camberwell 9 0.85x
Charlton Kings 9 39.88x
Cornsay 9 67.57x
Hartlepool 9 12.80x
Heigham 9 6.56x
Helmington Row 9 39.05x
Newfield 9 137.20x
North Ferriby 9 333.33x
Tudhoe 9 20.79x
Witton Le Wear 9 64.15x
Badgeworth 8 139.86x
Barham 8 298.51x
Barrow On Humber 8 51.85x
Bristol St George 8 5.30x
Coln St Dennis 8 733.95x
Darlington 8 4.19x
Great Comberton 8 666.67x
Habergham Eaves 8 4.43x
Middlesbrough 8 3.73x
North Hincksey 8 579.71x
Ovingham Whittle Spital 8 212.77x
Stretton Grandison 8 1194.03x
West Calder 8 18.21x
Whitby 8 14.40x
York St Maurice 8 25.78x
Acton 7 7.18x
Calthorpe 7 603.45x
Chollerton 7 100.72x
Fulstow Grainthorpe Marsh 7 1250.00x
Great Yarmouth 7 3.30x
Greysouthen 7 177.67x
Limpenhoe 7 619.47x
Newton In Guisbrough 7 1060.61x
Oldbury On Hill 7 318.18x
St Bride London 7 72.39x
St George Hanover 7 3.22x
St Pancras London 7 0.52x
Walthamstow 7 5.92x
Wentworth 7 68.63x
Winterton 7 76.67x
Workington 7 8.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 124
Sarah 64
Elizabeth 63
Jane 45
Hannah 38
Ann 33
Alice 28
Annie 28
Margaret 28
Ellen 24
Emma 20
Eliza 19
Emily 17
Isabella 15
Harriet 14
Esther 12
Edith 11
Martha 11
Maria 10
Louisa 9
Ada 8
Phoebe 8
Caroline 7
Elisabeth 7
Florence 7
Anne 6
Fanny 6
Helen 5
Rebecca 5
Susan 5
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Frances 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Amy 3
Eleanor 3
Ethel 3
Harriett 3
Laura 3
Matilda 3
May 3
Nancy 3
Rose 3
Ruth 3
Susannah 3
Adelaide 2
Margt. 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 116
Thomas 86
William 79
George 60
Joseph 54
Charles 30
Henry 27
James 27
Robert 26
Alfred 18
Isaac 16
Edward 14
Frederick 14
Walter 14
Arthur 12
Emerson 12
Albert 10
Jacob 10
Ernest 9
Harry 8
Richard 8
Thos. 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Herbert 6
Andrew 5
Cuthbert 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Emmerson 4
Fredrick 4
Nicholas 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Ralph 3
Samuel 3
Watson 3
Wilson 3
Adam 2
Ben 2
Enoch 2
Featherston 2
Featherstone 2
Fred. 2
Jessee 2
Laidler 2
Lewis 2
Matthew 2
Stephen 2
Titus 2

FAQ

Peart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,701 people were recorded with the Peart surname. That placed it at #2,530 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,114 in 2016. That gives Peart a modern rank of #2,169.

What does the Peart surname mean?

Derived from a Middle English term for a person who appears gentle or well-mannered.

What does the Peart map show?

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