NameCensus.

UK surname

Seery

A shortened anglicized form of the Irish surname O'Searaigh or Seerie meaning "free" or "silk".

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Seery surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 711, ranked #7,621, up from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sunderland, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Knowsley and Craigend and Ruchazie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seery is 743 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 540.5%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

711

2016, ranked #7,621

Peak year

2013

743 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seery had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 711 in 2016, ranked #7,621.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Seery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seery 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 694 #7,298
1998 modern 720 #7,315
1999 modern 717 #7,385
2000 modern 677 #7,689
2001 modern 660 #7,704
2002 modern 668 #7,785
2003 modern 658 #7,764
2004 modern 658 #7,762
2005 modern 647 #7,800
2006 modern 656 #7,745
2007 modern 666 #7,727
2008 modern 683 #7,622
2009 modern 700 #7,643
2010 modern 723 #7,590
2011 modern 734 #7,440
2012 modern 724 #7,427
2013 modern 743 #7,403
2014 modern 734 #7,509
2015 modern 732 #7,463
2016 modern 711 #7,621

Geography

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Where Seerys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sunderland, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Knowsley, Craigend and Ruchazie, Greenend and Carnbroe and Milnwood. 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 Sunderland Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn
2 Knowsley 006 Knowsley
3 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City
4 Greenend and Carnbroe North Lanarkshire
5 Milnwood North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seery

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Seery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Seery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Seery 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

Seery 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

Seery falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Seery is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Seery

The surname SEERY is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to have originated as an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname "Ó Séire," which means "descendant of Séire."

The name Séire itself is derived from the Old Irish word "sér," meaning "free" or "noble." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been members of a free or noble class within Irish society during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SEERY can be found in the Irish Annals, which document historical events in Ireland from ancient times. Specifically, the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a "Seary O'Mulchonry" in the year 1397.

The SEERY surname has also been found in various Irish manuscripts and records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, a Thomas Seery is mentioned in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.

Over the centuries, various spelling variations of the surname have emerged, including Seery, Seerey, Seary, and Seeary. These variations often reflect regional dialects or attempts to anglicize the original Gaelic form.

Historically, the SEERY name has been associated with several notable individuals. One example is John Seery (1767-1846), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonist in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia).

Another prominent figure with the SEERY surname was William Seery (1837-1907), an Irish-American entrepreneur and politician who served as the Mayor of Butte, Montana, in the late 19th century.

In Ireland itself, the name has been linked to various place names, such as Seeryshane and Seery's Cross, which are located in County Donegal and County Laois, respectively.

Other notable individuals with the SEERY surname include Charles Seery (1829-1900), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Lismore in Australia, and John Seery (1908-1996), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

While the SEERY surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration and diaspora. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Seery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seery 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. Durham leads with 44 Seerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.78x.

County Total Index
Durham 44 13.78x
Lancashire 27 2.12x
Angus 7 7.04x
Cumberland 7 7.58x
Renfrewshire 5 6.01x
Lanarkshire 4 1.15x
Cheshire 3 1.27x
Middlesex 3 0.28x
Channel Islands 2 6.29x
Essex 1 0.47x
Kent 1 0.27x
Leicestershire 1 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.69x
Royal Navy 1 7.82x
Shropshire 1 1.08x
Surrey 1 0.19x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hetton Le Hole in Durham leads with 13 Seerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 320.99x.

Place Total Index
Hetton Le Hole 13 320.99x
Liverpool 9 11.64x
Sunderland 9 159.57x
Accrington 7 60.45x
Haswell 6 262.01x
St Mary Within 6 521.74x
Tudhoe 6 215.05x
Abbey 5 39.40x
Bishopwearmouth 5 18.25x
Great Bolton 5 29.66x
Southwick 5 165.56x
Dundee 4 10.78x
Glasgow 3 4.87x
Liff Benvie 3 19.88x
Manchester 3 5.24x
Stockport 3 24.61x
Mile End Old Town 2 11.81x
St Helier 2 19.32x
Warrington 2 13.25x
Clapham 1 7.46x
Dawley 1 29.67x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 15.65x
Edmonton 1 11.56x
Govan 1 1.17x
Ripon 1 40.49x
Royal Navy 1 9.15x
St Cuthbert Within 1 93.46x
Standard Hill 1 294.12x
West Ham 1 2.14x
Whitwick 1 66.23x
Woolwich 1 7.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Margaret 7
Catherine 4
Elizabeth 4
Bridget 3
Ellen 3
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Catharine 2
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Caro. 1
Ceresa 1
Edith 1
Florence 1
Julia 1
Marian 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Michael 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
James 3
Robert 3
William 3
Andrew 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Bartholmew 1
Bartholomew 1
Dominick 1
Lawrance 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Seery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 111 people were recorded with the Seery surname. That placed it at #18,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 711 in 2016. That gives Seery a modern rank of #7,621.

What does the Seery surname mean?

A shortened anglicized form of the Irish surname O'Searaigh or Seerie meaning "free" or "silk".

What does the Seery map show?

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