NameCensus.

UK surname

Stear

An English toponymic surname derived from places in England like Steer or Steer Point.

In the 1881 census there were 207 people recorded with the Stear surname, ranking it #12,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 267, ranked #16,054, down from #12,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and Silkstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, South Norfolk and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stear is 300 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.0%.

1881 census count

207

Ranked #12,555

Modern count

267

2016, ranked #16,054

Peak year

1999

300 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stear had 207 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 267 in 2016, ranked #16,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 277 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Stear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stear surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stear 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 169 #11,832
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 207 #12,555
1891 historical 207 #14,546
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 277 #12,067
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 281 #14,506
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 270 #15,010
2003 modern 268 #14,897
2004 modern 266 #15,075
2005 modern 265 #15,048
2006 modern 271 #14,880
2007 modern 282 #14,618
2008 modern 276 #14,994
2009 modern 289 #14,809
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 262 #16,001
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 265 #16,247
2015 modern 269 #15,955
2016 modern 267 #16,054

Geography

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Where Stears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Silkstone, Gainsborough, Paddocks and Ashburton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, South Norfolk, Ashford and Plymouth. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
5 Ashburton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 009 Thurrock
2 Thurrock 012 Thurrock
3 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
4 Ashford 006 Ashford
5 Plymouth 031 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stear

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stear, 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 Stear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Stear 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, Stear 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

Stear is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Stear

The surname STEAR is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "stær," meaning a starling or a small bird. Early spellings of the name included Stere, Stere, and Stare.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a Willelmus Stere was mentioned. The name also appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, listing a Johannes Ster.

In the 14th century, the surname STEAR began to appear in various English records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard Stere was mentioned in 1317. Similarly, the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire recorded a William Stere in 1348.

During the medieval period, the surname was often associated with areas known for their starling populations, such as the village of Staresmore in Yorkshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Steremore."

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Stere (c. 1350-1418), who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1388 and 1397. Another was William Stere (c. 1425-1493), a merchant and alderman in the City of London, who served as Sheriff of London in 1467.

In the 16th century, the surname STEAR spread to other parts of England, with records showing instances in Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One example was John Steare (c. 1545-1610), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Woodchurch in Kent.

In the 17th century, the surname was found in various parts of England, including London, where Thomas Steare (c. 1620-1683) was a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company.

Throughout the centuries, the surname STEAR has also been associated with several notable figures, such as Sir Richard Stere (c. 1570-1632), a diplomat and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire, and Sir John Steare (c. 1590-1658), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for Somerset.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stear 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. Devon leads with 56 Stears recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.01x.

County Total Index
Devon 56 13.01x
Yorkshire 40 1.95x
Surrey 30 2.98x
Middlesex 18 0.87x
Lancashire 16 0.65x
Gloucestershire 14 3.45x
Essex 11 2.69x
Channel Islands 4 6.53x
Kent 4 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.44x
Staffordshire 4 0.57x
Sussex 4 1.15x
Cornwall 2 0.85x
Lincolnshire 2 0.60x
Anglesey 1 2.73x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.52x
Royal Navy 1 4.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loddiswell in Devon leads with 13 Stears recorded in 1881 and an index of 2280.70x.

Place Total Index
Loddiswell 13 2280.70x
Barnsley 10 47.30x
Dodworth 9 422.54x
Lambeth 9 4.99x
Camberwell 8 6.06x
Plymouth Charles The 8 42.19x
Aveton Gifford 7 1129.03x
Bristol St Michael 7 201.15x
Ecclesfield 6 39.92x
West Ham 6 6.66x
Dodbrooke 5 588.24x
Habergham Eaves 5 22.29x
Heston 5 72.78x
Newton 5 26.44x
Shoreditch London 5 5.58x
Wath On Dearne 5 122.25x
West Moulsey 5 1063.83x
Ashburton 4 194.17x
Bristol St Paul In 4 37.00x
Burnley 4 19.35x
Handsworth 4 23.24x
Hatherleigh 4 373.83x
Holy Trinity 4 444.44x
St Helier 4 20.05x
Crediton 3 73.53x
Deptford St Paul 3 5.51x
Nottingham St Mary 3 4.16x
Saffron Walden 3 69.61x
Sompting 3 625.00x
St Leonard Eastcheap 3 7500.00x
Bristol St George 2 10.66x
Byfleet 2 222.22x
Croydon 2 3.58x
Doncaster 2 13.36x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 4.80x
Pendleton In Salford 2 6.84x
St Dionis Backchurch 2 1333.33x
Staverton 2 377.36x
York St Lawrence 2 93.46x
Battersea 1 1.31x
Corringham 1 188.68x
Devonport 1 20.20x
Enfield 1 7.37x
Epsom 1 20.37x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 22.78x
Farnham 1 12.76x
Fulstow 1 250.00x
Hackney London 1 0.86x
Hampstead London 1 3.10x
Harworth 1 256.41x
Hockley 1 227.27x
Holyhead 1 14.64x
Hubberston 1 104.17x
Huddersfield 1 3.35x
Maidstone 1 4.76x
Normanton 1 16.23x
Penge 1 7.57x
Perranarworthal 1 128.21x
Petworth 1 48.08x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.02x
Royal Navy 1 4.75x
Sheffield 1 1.53x
Siston 1 138.89x
St Budeaux 1 74.63x
St Ive 1 66.67x
Thurlestone 1 384.62x
Tormoham 1 5.49x
Wivenhoe 1 61.73x
Worsbrough 1 16.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 11
Ann 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Jane 2
Jemima 2
Jessie 2
Leah 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Albert 1
Alice 1
Almenia 1
Barbara 1
Caroline 1
Eleanor 1
Elenoir 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.A. 1
Ellen 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Lillie 1
Lora 1
Lucy 1
Magie 1
Margeretta 1
Maria 1
May 1
Nelly 1
Pamela 1
Rachael 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 14
George 9
Henry 8
Charles 6
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Edmond 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Abraham 1
Adam 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Berd. 1
Bertha 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Dertin 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Mary 1
Nicholas 1
Paul 1
Rd. 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sam. 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Stear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 207 people were recorded with the Stear surname. That placed it at #12,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 267 in 2016. That gives Stear a modern rank of #16,054.

What does the Stear surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from places in England like Steer or Steer Point.

What does the Stear map show?

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