UK surname
A surname originally denoting someone who lived near the sea or the coast.
In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Sea surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #28,559 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Hanley Castle, St Pancras and Walpole St Peter and St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sea is 148 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.2%.
1881 census count
36
Ranked #28,559
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1851
148 bearers
Map years
1
1851 to 1851
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Sea surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Sea surname density by area, 1851 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 148 | #13,028 |
| 1881 | historical | 36 | #28,559 |
| 1901 | historical | 36 | #30,099 |
| 1997 | modern | 9 | #37,214 |
| 1998 | modern | 6 | #37,703 |
| 1999 | modern | 6 | #37,696 |
| 2000 | modern | 2 | #38,472 |
| 2001 | modern | 1 | #38,647 |
| 2002 | modern | 5 | #37,723 |
| 2003 | modern | 5 | #37,750 |
| 2004 | modern | 5 | #37,830 |
| 2005 | modern | 6 | #37,724 |
| 2006 | modern | 9 | #37,345 |
| 2007 | modern | 9 | #37,435 |
| 2008 | modern | 9 | #37,473 |
| 2009 | modern | 6 | #37,953 |
| 2010 | modern | 13 | #37,215 |
| 2011 | modern | 7 | #37,865 |
| 2012 | modern | 15 | #36,982 |
| 2013 | modern | 16 | #36,955 |
| 2014 | modern | 17 | #36,888 |
| 2015 | modern | 18 | #36,809 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Hanley Castle, St Pancras, Walpole St Peter and St Andrew, St Austell and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanley Castle | Worcestershire |
| 2 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Walpole St Peter and St Andrew | Cambridgeshire |
| 4 | St Austell | Cornwall |
| 5 | Leigh | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Sea surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sea, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Sea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Sea household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Sea is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sea is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Sea, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Sea is an English habitational name derived from the Old English word 'sæ' meaning the sea or ocean. The name likely originated as a description for someone who lived near the sea or coast. It is believed to have first emerged in the 13th century in coastal areas of southern and eastern England.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Walter de la Sea, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1279. The name is also found as Sea, Atte Sea, and De la Sea in medieval records from Kent, Sussex, and Essex. Some variant spellings included See, Zee, and Zea.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, with references to John del See in 1317 and Adam del See in 1348. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1327 as John de la See.
Notable historical figures with the Sea surname include Robert Sea (c.1450-1516), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the Protestant Reformation. Sir John Sea (1592-1658) was an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I. Admiral Sir William Sea (1710-1768) was a British naval officer who served in the War of Jenkins' Ear and the Seven Years' War.
Other early bearers of the name include John Sea, a merchant from Bristol mentioned in records from 1580, and William Sea, a landowner in Norfolk recorded in the Feet of Fines for 1598. The name is also found in parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries in places like Ipswich, Suffolk, and Sidlesham, Sussex.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sea surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 8 Seas recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.04x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 8 | 3.04x |
| Lancashire | 6 | 1.92x |
| Cambridgeshire | 4 | 24.00x |
| Kent | 2 | 2.23x |
| Devon | 1 | 1.83x |
| Durham | 1 | 1.28x |
| Flintshire | 1 | 14.12x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 5.51x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.78x |
| Sussex | 1 | 2.25x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 2.91x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 5 Seas recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.70x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| West Derby | 5 | 54.70x |
| March | 4 | 714.29x |
| Hackney London | 2 | 13.55x |
| Milton In Milton | 2 | 526.32x |
| Bootle Cum Linacre | 1 | 40.32x |
| Brighton | 1 | 11.17x |
| Devonport | 1 | 158.73x |
| Dorking | 1 | 116.28x |
| Ellesmere Penley | 1 | 3333.33x |
| Hammersmith London | 1 | 15.43x |
| Hampstead London | 1 | 24.39x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 6.84x |
| Monkwearmouth Shore | 1 | 65.36x |
| Paddington London | 1 | 10.33x |
| Rickmansworth | 1 | 200.00x |
| Rock | 1 | 714.29x |
| St Giles In Fields | 1 | 109.89x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 4.72x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sea surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sea surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sea households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Builders Clerk | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Dom Serv | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| Ladys Maid | 1 |
| N K | 1 |
| Painter | 1 |
| Parlour Maid (House) | 1 |
| Printer Compositor | 1 |
| Railway Mechanics Labr (E&M) | 1 |
| Retired Nurse | 1 |
| Scholar | 1 |
| Shipping Clerk | 1 |
| Shoemaker | 1 |
| Widow & Mother In Law Of Chief Engr | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Sea surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Sea a modern rank of #36,125.
A surname originally denoting someone who lived near the sea or the coast.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sea bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.