NameCensus.

UK surname

Seear

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Seear surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, up from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Watford and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elmbridge, Blackpool and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seear is 234 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 138.3%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

2000

234 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seear had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 194 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Seear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seear surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seear 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 179 #16,227
1911 historical 194 #15,250
1997 modern 232 #16,012
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 226 #16,620
2002 modern 218 #17,338
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 196 #18,895
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 212 #18,575
2012 modern 211 #18,539
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Seears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Watford, St John Hackney and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Elmbridge, Blackpool, Waltham Forest, Runnymede and Wealden. 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 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elmbridge 012 Elmbridge
2 Blackpool 018 Blackpool
3 Waltham Forest 028 Waltham Forest
4 Runnymede 002 Runnymede
5 Wealden 002 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seear

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Seear 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

Seear 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

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

1881 census detail

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Seear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seear 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. Middlesex leads with 42 Seears recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 42 5.32x
Surrey 14 3.64x
Hertfordshire 13 23.88x
Essex 5 3.21x
Kent 3 1.11x
Staffordshire 2 0.75x
Bedfordshire 1 2.45x
Durham 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 20 Seears recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.16x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 20 45.16x
Hemel Hempstead 12 489.80x
Hornsey 10 100.10x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 44.03x
Newington 6 20.56x
Bromley London 5 28.77x
Leyton 5 185.87x
Shoreditch London 4 11.68x
Woolwich 3 30.12x
Mile End Old Town 2 16.04x
Wolverhampton 2 9.76x
Ealing 1 14.16x
Great Gaddesden 1 400.00x
Hart 1 175.44x
Lambeth 1 1.45x
Wootton 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Lucy 4
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Florence 2
Allice 1
Anne 1
Armenia 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fabla 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lousie 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Maryann 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
S.H. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
James 4
William 4
John 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Johnathon 1
Jonathon 1
Raymond 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
W. 1

FAQ

Seear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Seear surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Seear a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Seear map show?

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