NameCensus.

UK surname

Shearer

An occupational surname referring to one who shears sheep or deals in sheared wool.

In the 1881 census there were 3,868 people recorded with the Shearer surname, ranking it #1,178 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,525, ranked #1,214, down from #1,178 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Kirkwall, East Mainland and Caithness North East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shearer is 5,532 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.8%.

1881 census count

3,868

Ranked #1,178

Modern count

5,525

2016, ranked #1,214

Peak year

2015

5,532 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shearer had 3,868 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,178 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,525 in 2016, ranked #1,214.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,599 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Shearer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shearer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shearer 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 2,721 #1,080
1861 historical 2,918 #987
1881 historical 3,868 #1,178
1891 historical 3,968 #1,208
1901 historical 4,599 #1,234
1911 historical 956 #4,713
1997 modern 4,870 #1,346
1998 modern 5,118 #1,329
1999 modern 5,113 #1,339
2000 modern 5,170 #1,312
2001 modern 4,997 #1,330
2002 modern 5,127 #1,320
2003 modern 5,108 #1,295
2004 modern 5,084 #1,301
2005 modern 5,114 #1,275
2006 modern 5,140 #1,269
2007 modern 5,226 #1,260
2008 modern 5,234 #1,272
2009 modern 5,325 #1,282
2010 modern 5,479 #1,269
2011 modern 5,405 #1,270
2012 modern 5,352 #1,251
2013 modern 5,438 #1,250
2014 modern 5,525 #1,234
2015 modern 5,532 #1,218
2016 modern 5,525 #1,214

Geography

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Where Shearers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Kirkwall, East Mainland, Caithness North East, East Kirkwall and North and East Isles. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wick Caithness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
2 East Mainland Orkney Islands
3 Caithness North East Highland
4 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
5 North and East Isles Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shearer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shearer

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Shearer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Shearer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shearer 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

Shearer is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shearer falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shearer

The surname Shearer originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "scearra" or the Middle English word "sherre," meaning "to cut" or "to shear." The name refers to someone who worked as a shearer, typically shearing sheep or cutting cloth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shearer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1197, where it appears as "Willelmus le Shearere." This record suggests that the surname was already in use in England by the late 12th century.

In Scotland, the name Shearer is believed to have originated in the Scottish Borders region and the Lowlands. It is documented in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1365, where it appears as "Johannes Sherar." The spelling variations during this period include "Sherar," "Sheirer," and "Sherrare."

Notable historical figures with the surname Shearer include John Shearer (c. 1615-1693), a Scottish covenanter who fought against religious persecution, and Thomas Shearer (1758-1808), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

Other notable individuals with this surname are Robert Shearer (1838-1918), a Scottish-American industrialist who co-founded the Deere & Company agricultural machinery company, and Henry Shearer (1850-1922), an Australian politician who served as the Premier of Western Australia from 1904 to 1905.

In the literary world, James Shearer (1828-1865) was a Scottish poet and journalist who published several collections of poems, including "Gleanings from the Poets of Nithsdale" (1855) and "The White Rose and the Red" (1857).

While the surname Shearer is found predominantly in England, Scotland, and countries with significant British immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, it has spread across the globe over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shearer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shearer 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1,055 Shearers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,055 8.70x
Orkney 361 87.53x
Aberdeenshire 245 7.06x
Midlothian 236 4.70x
Caithness 232 45.20x
Renfrewshire 232 7.99x
Lancashire 154 0.35x
Ayrshire 135 4.81x
Banffshire 134 17.23x
Stirlingshire 111 8.03x
Durham 108 0.97x
Dunbartonshire 82 8.14x
Angus 68 1.96x
Yorkshire 65 0.18x
Middlesex 52 0.14x
Morayshire 48 8.24x
Perthshire 45 2.67x
Surrey 45 0.25x
Northumberland 38 0.68x
Wigtownshire 33 6.63x
Shetland 31 8.10x
Argyllshire 24 2.30x
Fife 20 0.90x
Kirkcudbrightshire 20 3.69x
Dumfriesshire 19 2.29x
Buteshire 17 7.48x
Hampshire 17 0.22x
Staffordshire 17 0.13x
Kent 16 0.13x
Inverness-shire 15 1.34x
Peeblesshire 15 8.51x
Kincardineshire 14 3.07x
Lincolnshire 12 0.20x
Selkirkshire 12 3.54x
Sutherland 12 4.16x
Berwickshire 11 2.42x
Devon 11 0.14x
Essex 9 0.12x
Nairnshire 9 7.87x
Ross-shire 9 0.87x
Derbyshire 7 0.12x
Leicestershire 5 0.12x
Warwickshire 5 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.17x
Cheshire 4 0.05x
Roxburghshire 4 0.59x
Royal Navy 4 0.90x
Denbighshire 3 0.21x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.65x
Cumberland 2 0.06x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
Sussex 2 0.03x
Worcestershire 2 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Somerset 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 220 Shearers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.34x.

Place Total Index
Govan 220 7.34x
Barony 202 6.58x
Glasgow 163 7.57x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 131 6.48x
Stronsay Eday 106 393.03x
Wick 93 56.10x
Kirkwall St Ola 63 101.99x
Stonehouse 62 150.74x
Shapinshay 54 431.65x
Rutherglen 45 25.30x
West Greenock 45 8.63x
Dundee 44 3.39x
Hamilton 43 12.72x
Avondale 42 59.25x
Thurso 42 52.46x
Canisbay 41 121.66x
Inverkip 39 56.96x
Aberdeen Old Machar 37 5.10x
East Kilbride 37 71.26x
Holm 36 260.49x
Bothwell 32 9.73x
Stromness 31 100.19x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 30 88.92x
Kirkdale 28 3.74x
Old Monkland 28 5.82x
Denny 26 35.35x
Kilsyth 26 29.49x
Paisley Middle Church 25 14.78x
Turriff 24 42.83x
Leeds 23 1.10x
Liverpool 22 0.81x
Abbey 21 4.74x
Ardrossan 21 21.63x
Bonhill 21 12.99x
Dalserf 21 17.36x
East Greenock 21 7.65x
New Monkland 21 5.86x
Huntly 20 35.40x
St Andrews Deerness 20 92.21x
Glassford 19 101.71x
Banff 18 26.65x
Lasswade 18 15.68x
Rhynie 18 124.48x
Camberwell 17 0.71x
Cross Burness N 17 78.96x
Dunnet 17 82.40x
Blantyre 16 12.68x
Carmunnock 16 172.04x
Mortlach 16 42.14x
Coylton 15 37.68x
Medomsley 15 28.84x
Monquhitter 15 41.74x
Peebles 15 28.79x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 2.16x
Cumbrae 14 58.60x
Inverurie 14 35.65x
Latheron 14 16.31x
New Kilpatrick 14 14.61x
Alvah 13 74.20x
Banchory Ternan 13 32.94x
Barrow In Furness 13 2.15x
Bower 13 62.89x
Dalziel 13 9.97x
Darlington 13 3.02x
Eastwood 13 7.27x
Inverkeithny 13 109.80x
Islington London 13 0.36x
Muirkirk 13 19.73x
Newton On Ayr 13 15.47x
Cambusnethan 12 4.46x
Cathcart 12 7.63x
Dalmellington 12 14.55x
Stirling 12 6.88x
Tyrie 12 27.54x
Wigtown 12 42.24x
Ayr 11 8.31x
Forgue 11 35.28x
Holy Trinity 11 1.23x
Keith 11 13.27x
Westgate 11 3.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Jane 21
Elizabeth 19
Margaret 17
Isabella 13
Sarah 11
Annie 9
Eliza 7
Ann 6
Agnes 5
Hannah 5
Harriett 5
Martha 5
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Esther 4
Maria 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Florence 3
Helen 3
Isabel 3
Jessie 3
Kate 3
A.M.C. 2
Amelia 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Georgina 2
Janet 2
Jean 2
Lavinia 2
Letitia 2
Pheobe 2
Phoebe 2
Rosina 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Cecilia 1
Eliz.I. 1
Elsie 1
Zueratea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 43
John 41
William 38
George 24
Thomas 17
Robert 13
Edward 9
Alexander 8
Walter 8
Henry 7
Arthur 5
Charles 5
David 5
Joseph 5
Francis 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Archibald 3
Hugh 3
Albert 2
Alexandra 2
Donald 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Infant 2
Maurice 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Alexr. 1
Basil 1
Benjamin 1
Butterworth 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Frank 1
Fredk.W. 1
G.W.C. 1
Garven 1
Geo.W.C. 1
Herbert 1
Hiram 1
Irving 1
Jacob 1
Laurence 1
Louis 1
Miriam 1
Morris 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Shearer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shearer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,868 people were recorded with the Shearer surname. That placed it at #1,178 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shearer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,525 in 2016. That gives Shearer a modern rank of #1,214.

What does the Shearer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to one who shears sheep or deals in sheared wool.

What does the Shearer map show?

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