NameCensus.

UK surname

Sear

An English surname derived from the Old French term "seier," meaning to cut or chop wood.

In the 1881 census there were 1,122 people recorded with the Sear surname, ranking it #3,558 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,274, ranked #4,696, down from #3,558 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Watford and Hemel Hempstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Dacorum and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sear is 1,796 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.5%.

1881 census count

1,122

Ranked #3,558

Modern count

1,274

2016, ranked #4,696

Peak year

1911

1,796 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sear had 1,122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,558 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,274 in 2016, ranked #4,696.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,796 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sear 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 731 #3,595
1861 historical 722 #3,767
1881 historical 1,122 #3,558
1891 historical 1,229 #3,509
1901 historical 1,517 #3,387
1911 historical 1,796 #2,731
1997 modern 1,392 #4,159
1998 modern 1,449 #4,173
1999 modern 1,433 #4,223
2000 modern 1,402 #4,281
2001 modern 1,370 #4,278
2002 modern 1,402 #4,287
2003 modern 1,377 #4,274
2004 modern 1,353 #4,343
2005 modern 1,296 #4,440
2006 modern 1,275 #4,524
2007 modern 1,259 #4,622
2008 modern 1,263 #4,626
2009 modern 1,287 #4,648
2010 modern 1,320 #4,638
2011 modern 1,319 #4,577
2012 modern 1,305 #4,557
2013 modern 1,342 #4,519
2014 modern 1,334 #4,570
2015 modern 1,287 #4,670
2016 modern 1,274 #4,696

Geography

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Where Sears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Dacorum, South Oxfordshire and Epping Forest. 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 Watford Hertfordshire
4 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 019 Central Bedfordshire
2 Dacorum 006 Dacorum
3 South Oxfordshire 010 South Oxfordshire
4 Dacorum 020 Dacorum
5 Epping Forest 009 Epping Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sear

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sear household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sear 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

Sear is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sear falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sear

The surname SEAR is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'sear', meaning 'dry' or 'withered', and was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a dry or withered appearance.

SEAR is also thought to have been an occupational surname, referring to those who worked with the process of searing or scorching materials, particularly in the context of metalworking or woodworking. This connection to a specific trade or profession was not uncommon in the development of surnames during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SEAR can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1275, which mention a William Sear. Another early example is John Sere, recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317.

The name SEAR appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in the West Midlands region of England during the medieval and early modern periods. Some variations in spelling included Sere, Seare, and Seere, which reflect the evolving nature of English orthography over time.

Notable individuals with the surname SEAR throughout history include:

1. William Sear (c. 1548 - 1605), an English clergyman and poet from Worcestershire. 2. John Sear (c. 1590 - 1663), an English soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later became a member of the Parliament of England. 3. Mary Sear (c. 1620 - 1692), a prominent figure in the early Quaker movement, known for her religious writings and activism. 4. Thomas Sear (1668 - 1720), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London. 5. Samuel Sear (1785 - 1858), a British botanist and naturalist, known for his contributions to the study of plant life in the Caribbean region.

The surname SEAR can also be found in various place names across England, such as Sear Green in Buckinghamshire and Sear's Wood in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its historical presence and distribution within the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sear 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 255 Sears recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.57x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 255 38.57x
Middlesex 211 1.93x
Hertfordshire 176 23.35x
Bedfordshire 146 25.79x
Surrey 54 1.01x
Essex 39 1.81x
Kent 32 0.86x
Warwickshire 32 1.16x
Yorkshire 22 0.20x
Northamptonshire 17 1.65x
Norfolk 16 0.95x
Derbyshire 14 0.82x
Leicestershire 13 1.07x
Lancashire 12 0.09x
Stirlingshire 10 2.48x
Oxfordshire 9 1.33x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.54x
Suffolk 8 0.60x
Sussex 8 0.43x
Worcestershire 7 0.49x
Anglesey 5 2.58x
Staffordshire 5 0.14x
Roxburghshire 4 2.02x
Devon 3 0.13x
Gloucestershire 3 0.14x
Hampshire 3 0.13x
Wiltshire 3 0.31x
Berkshire 2 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.14x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire leads with 50 Sears recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.23x.

Place Total Index
Hemel Hempstead 50 147.23x
Leighton Buzzard 46 188.83x
Islington London 42 3.96x
Luton 34 34.69x
St Pancras London 30 3.41x
Watford 29 49.62x
Edlesborough 28 465.12x
West Ham 27 5.67x
Northchurch 23 285.71x
Berkhampstead 22 129.79x
Chesham 22 90.31x
Heath Reach 20 497.51x
St Luke London 18 10.26x
Adstock 17 1287.88x
Steeple Claydon 17 531.25x
Bletchley 16 833.33x
Fenny Stratford 15 240.00x
Hammersmith London 15 5.57x
Kensington London 14 2.30x
Bradwell 13 139.63x
Ivinghoe 12 232.11x
Rotherhithe 12 8.88x
Whaddon 12 789.47x
Camberwell 11 1.57x
Lambeth 11 1.15x
Marsworth 11 643.27x
Ratcliffe London 11 18.21x
Whitwick 11 71.38x
Falkirk 10 10.59x
Rickmansworth 10 48.19x
Chelsea London 9 2.73x
Padbury 9 454.55x
Simpson 9 324.91x
Stoke Newington London 9 10.57x
Brickendon 8 228.57x
Buckingham 8 59.48x
Grove 8 13333.33x
Oxford St Thomas 8 25.39x
St George Hanover 8 5.61x
Birmingham 7 0.76x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.43x
Ipswich St Clement 7 20.67x
St Marylebone London 7 1.20x
Winslow 7 112.54x
Woburn 7 142.57x
Wrotham 7 56.63x
Alfreton 6 11.54x
Ashill 6 243.90x
Batley 6 5.83x
Bromley London 6 2.49x
Croydon 6 2.03x
Great Missenden 6 73.71x
Hatfield 6 39.27x
Nash 6 465.12x
Oldham 6 1.43x
Paddington London 6 1.49x
Snenton 6 10.36x
St Albans St Peter 6 23.59x
Stowe 6 468.75x
Wheathampstead 6 68.89x
Wicken 6 392.16x
Aston 5 0.66x
Bedford St Mary 5 34.29x
Drayton Parslow 5 282.49x
Frankton 5 609.76x
Great Horwood 5 187.27x
Holyhead 5 13.84x
Little Brickhill 5 555.56x
Meppershall 5 171.82x
Welford 5 143.68x
Wroxhall 5 757.58x
York St Nicholas In 5 81.97x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.55x
Dunstable 4 22.99x
Great Yarmouth 4 2.87x
Loughton 4 37.49x
Northampton All Sts 4 11.46x
Northfield 4 14.77x
Reigate Foreign 4 6.93x
St Boswells 4 111.42x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 78
George 42
Thomas 36
John 35
James 31
Joseph 30
Alfred 28
Frederick 27
Charles 24
Henry 24
Arthur 18
Edward 16
Walter 16
Harry 14
Albert 7
Benjamin 7
David 7
Edmund 7
Francis 7
Frank 7
Edwin 6
Herbert 6
Fred 5
Ernest 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Wm. 4
Percy 3
Samuel 3
Amos 2
Ebenezer 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Jesse 2
Owen 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Valentine 2
Auther 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Elijah 1
Emanuel 1
Ezra 1
Frederic 1
Jeffery 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Josiah 1

FAQ

Sear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,122 people were recorded with the Sear surname. That placed it at #3,558 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,274 in 2016. That gives Sear a modern rank of #4,696.

What does the Sear surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French term "seier," meaning to cut or chop wood.

What does the Sear map show?

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