NameCensus.

UK surname

Searing

A surname derived from the verb "to sear" or "burn", possibly relating to an occupation involving heat or fire.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Searing surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cheshunt St Mary, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford, Harlow and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Searing is 149 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2000

149 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Searing had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Searing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Searing surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Searing 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 143 #22,317
1999 modern 148 #22,020
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 144 #22,501
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 133 #23,528
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 132 #25,971
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Searings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cheshunt St Mary, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, St John Hackney and Enfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford, Harlow, Tonbridge and Malling, South Gloucestershire and Bournemouth. 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 Cheshunt St Mary Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Enfield Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 005 Uttlesford
2 Harlow 004 Harlow
3 Tonbridge and Malling 002 Tonbridge and Malling
4 South Gloucestershire 007 South Gloucestershire
5 Bournemouth 006 Bournemouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Searing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Searing

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Searing is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Searing 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

Searing falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Searing is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Searing, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Searing

The surname Searing is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sear," meaning "dry" or "withered." This name was likely initially given as a descriptive nickname, referring to someone with a sallow or gaunt appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Searing can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, from the year 1327, where a John Seryng was listed. This suggests that the surname had already become established in southern England by the 14th century.

In the late 15th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, as evidenced by a record from 1491 mentioning a Thomas Searing in the Register of the Gild of the Holy Trinity in Coventry.

The Searing surname has been connected to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir Edward Searing (1578-1647), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent bearer of the name was John Searing (1805-1892), an American clergyman and educator who served as the president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, from 1848 to 1868.

In literature, the Searing name appears in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "Henry IV, Part 2," a character named Searing is mentioned as one of the recruits joining the rebel forces led by Sir John Falstaff.

The Searing family also had a presence in colonial America, with records indicating that a John Searing was among the early settlers of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in the late 17th century.

Another notable figure was Thomas Searing (1804-1880), an American inventor and industrialist who founded the Searing Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia, which produced agricultural machinery and tools.

While the Searing surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a respected family name with a rich history spanning several centuries and various parts of the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Searing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Searing 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. Hertfordshire leads with 36 Searings recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.27x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 36 62.27x
Middlesex 27 3.22x
Surrey 15 3.67x
Essex 8 4.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wormley in Hertfordshire leads with 17 Searings recorded in 1881 and an index of 8095.24x.

Place Total Index
Wormley 17 8095.24x
Cheshunt 12 594.06x
Shoreditch London 9 24.75x
Chigwell 7 448.72x
Southwark St John 7 272.37x
Enfield 6 109.09x
Little Munden 6 4615.38x
Newington 6 19.37x
Hackney London 3 6.38x
Islington London 3 3.69x
St Marylebone London 3 6.70x
Brickendon 1 370.37x
Clapham 1 9.53x
Ealing 1 13.33x
Finchley 1 31.06x
Lambeth 1 1.37x
Whitechapel London 1 12.09x
Woodford 1 53.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 7
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Emily 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Edith 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Margaret 1
Rosanna 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Searing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Searing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Searing surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Searing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Searing a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Searing surname mean?

A surname derived from the verb "to sear" or "burn", possibly relating to an occupation involving heat or fire.

What does the Searing map show?

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