NameCensus.

UK surname

Rosevear

A locational surname originating from a place in Cornwall, England.

In the 1881 census there were 369 people recorded with the Rosevear surname, ranking it #8,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 393, ranked #12,032, down from #8,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mevagissey, St Austell and Luxulion. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rosevear is 423 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.5%.

1881 census count

369

Ranked #8,443

Modern count

393

2016, ranked #12,032

Peak year

1911

423 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rosevear had 369 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016, ranked #12,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 423 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Rosevear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rosevear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rosevear 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 287 #7,909
1861 historical 295 #8,555
1881 historical 369 #8,443
1891 historical 386 #9,138
1901 historical 385 #9,730
1911 historical 423 #8,924
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 377 #11,894
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 383 #11,779
2001 modern 371 #11,881
2002 modern 370 #12,121
2003 modern 351 #12,389
2004 modern 355 #12,326
2005 modern 346 #12,464
2006 modern 352 #12,396
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 360 #12,431
2009 modern 384 #12,100
2010 modern 402 #11,949
2011 modern 395 #11,966
2012 modern 391 #11,923
2013 modern 382 #12,337
2014 modern 393 #12,168
2015 modern 393 #12,059
2016 modern 393 #12,032

Geography

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Where Rosevears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mevagissey, St Austell, Luxulion, St Merryn and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Mevagissey Cornwall
2 St Austell Cornwall
3 Luxulion Cornwall
4 St Merryn Cornwall
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 030 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 015 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 014 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rosevear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rosevear

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rosevear, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Rosevear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Rosevear household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rosevear 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

Rosevear is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rosevear

The surname Rosevear is of Cornish origin, tracing its roots back to the county of Cornwall in the southwestern peninsula of England. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.

Rosevear is a locational surname, derived from a place name. It is thought to be a combination of the Cornish words "ros," meaning a promontory or headland, and "vear," meaning great or large. Thus, the name likely originated from a place known as the "great promontory" or a similar descriptive term.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rosevear can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the late 13th century, where a person named Richard de Rosveor is mentioned. This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time.

In the 16th century, the Rosevear surname appears in various records, such as the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, where individuals like John Roseveare and Digory Roseveare are listed as residents of Cornwall.

Notable individuals bearing the Rosevear surname include Richard Roseveare (1592-1673), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Braddock, Cornwall. Another prominent figure was John Roseveare (1788-1867), a Cornish mining engineer and geologist known for his contributions to the mining industry.

In the 19th century, William Roseveare (1811-1891) was a Cornish businessman and shipowner who established a successful shipping company in the town of Penzance. Additionally, John Roseveare (1870-1956), a Cornish artist and painter, gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Cornish coastline.

The Rosevear surname has also been documented in various place names within Cornwall, such as Rosevear Hill and Rosevear Farm, further reinforcing its connection to the region's geography and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rosevear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rosevear 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. Cornwall leads with 237 Rosevears recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.16x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 237 58.16x
Devon 33 4.40x
Middlesex 16 0.44x
Hampshire 14 1.90x
Gloucestershire 11 1.56x
Lancashire 9 0.21x
Leicestershire 9 2.26x
Dorset 8 3.39x
Cumberland 7 2.26x
Northumberland 6 1.12x
Surrey 6 0.34x
Kent 5 0.41x
Sussex 5 0.82x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Durham 1 0.09x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Austell in Cornwall leads with 48 Rosevears recorded in 1881 and an index of 344.58x.

Place Total Index
St Austell 48 344.58x
Feock 17 666.67x
St Eval 14 4242.42x
Mevagissey 13 479.70x
Portsea 12 8.30x
Falmouth 11 76.28x
Illogan 11 101.95x
St Ive 10 383.14x
Leicester St Margaret 9 9.25x
St Merryn 9 1343.28x
Barrow In Furness 8 13.77x
Padstow 8 295.20x
St Stephens By Saltash 8 454.55x
Swanage 8 273.97x
Tywardreath 8 305.34x
Bristol St Michael 7 115.70x
East Stonehouse 7 47.43x
Lanlivery 7 409.36x
Millom 7 73.68x
St Issey 7 843.37x
Stoke Damerel 7 13.35x
Bodmin 6 89.02x
Kensington London 6 3.00x
St George Bloomsbury 6 29.06x
Exeter St Mary Major 5 110.62x
Horsham 5 42.41x
Luxulyan 5 367.65x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 8.66x
St Ervan 5 1041.67x
Cubert 4 869.57x
Dartford 4 31.85x
Elswick 4 9.36x
Guildford St Nicholas 4 129.03x
Lewannick 4 506.33x
Mawgan In Pyder 4 459.77x
St Kew 4 294.12x
Bristol St Mary Le Port 3 2307.69x
Phillack 3 57.03x
Probus 3 179.64x
St Blazey 3 83.80x
St Ewe 3 243.90x
Stoke 3 99.01x
Compton Gifford 2 85.11x
Fareham 2 22.55x
Fulham London 2 3.83x
Gerrans 2 181.82x
Lanteglos 2 106.38x
Pelynt 2 240.96x
Perranzabuloe 2 56.82x
St Allen 2 277.78x
St Columb Major 2 59.17x
St Columb Minor 2 58.48x
St Mewan 2 158.73x
St Teath 2 81.63x
Bristol Christchurch 1 97.09x
Brotton 1 21.51x
Colton 1 44.84x
Devonport 1 11.61x
Exeter St David 1 15.63x
Exeter St Leonard 1 48.78x
Gillingham 1 3.95x
Higher Bebington 1 19.65x
Lambeth 1 0.32x
Madron Penzance 1 6.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 3.60x
Newington 1 0.75x
North Hill 1 76.34x
North Shields 1 9.35x
St George Hanover 1 2.13x
St Just In Roseland 1 56.18x
St Winnow 1 71.94x
Sunderland 1 5.29x
Tiverton 1 7.75x
Willesden 1 2.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 15
Ellen 10
Jane 9
Emily 8
Ann 7
Bessie 7
Eliza 7
Annie 6
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Alice 4
Rebecca 4
Sarah 4
Amelia 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
Margaret 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elizh. 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Nellie 2
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Elizebeth 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Jessie 1
Katey 1
Kezia 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Loveday 1
Luana 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 24
James 13
Charles 10
Thomas 10
Richard 9
Samuel 8
Francis 6
George 6
Henry 5
Albert 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Edmund 3
Edward 3
Josiah 3
Abraham 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Nicholas 2
Robert 2
Alexandra 1
Benet 1
Bob. 1
Cecil 1
Cephas 1
Charley 1
Earnest 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Johnie 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Paul 1
Robt.Hy. 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Thos.E. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Rosevear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rosevear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 369 people were recorded with the Rosevear surname. That placed it at #8,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rosevear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016. That gives Rosevear a modern rank of #12,032.

What does the Rosevear surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place in Cornwall, England.

What does the Rosevear map show?

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