NameCensus.

UK surname

Stearn

An English surname denoting someone stern or severe in demeanor.

In the 1881 census there were 627 people recorded with the Stearn surname, ranking it #5,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 946, ranked #6,062, down from #5,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Trumpington and Oakington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stearn is 1,038 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.9%.

1881 census count

627

Ranked #5,643

Modern count

946

2016, ranked #6,062

Peak year

1998

1,038 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stearn had 627 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 946 in 2016, ranked #6,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 972 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stearn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stearn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stearn 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 392 #6,129
1861 historical 328 #7,771
1881 historical 627 #5,643
1891 historical 622 #6,214
1901 historical 857 #5,327
1911 historical 972 #4,651
1997 modern 1,012 #5,443
1998 modern 1,038 #5,497
1999 modern 1,015 #5,649
2000 modern 1,002 #5,677
2001 modern 973 #5,701
2002 modern 993 #5,725
2003 modern 965 #5,762
2004 modern 965 #5,767
2005 modern 949 #5,786
2006 modern 946 #5,812
2007 modern 932 #5,928
2008 modern 928 #5,992
2009 modern 964 #5,938
2010 modern 983 #5,960
2011 modern 962 #6,008
2012 modern 964 #5,906
2013 modern 962 #6,013
2014 modern 970 #6,015
2015 modern 948 #6,081
2016 modern 946 #6,062

Geography

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Where Stearns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Trumpington, Oakington, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and Chesterton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. 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 3
2 Trumpington Cambridgeshire
3 Oakington Cambridgeshire
4 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
5 Chesterton Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 005 Mid Suffolk
2 Cambridge 001 Cambridge
3 Cambridge 010 Cambridge
4 Cambridge 011 Cambridge
5 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stearn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stearn

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stearn 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

Stearn is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stearn falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stearn

The surname STEARN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "stæren" or "stærn," which referred to a person who was stern or rigid in their demeanor. The name may also be connected to the Old English word "steorra," meaning star, suggesting that it could have been a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive birthmark or a bright personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the STEARN surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John Sterne. The surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, listing a Robert Sterne.

Historical records indicate that the STEARN surname was concentrated in the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex in eastern England during the medieval and early modern periods. Variations in spelling, such as Sterne, Stern, and Stearne, were common due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

Notable individuals with the STEARN surname include Sir Richard Sterne (c. 1596-1683), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Laurence Sterne (1713-1768), an Irish novelist and Anglican clergyman best known for his satirical novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

In the realm of literature, Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), an American novelist and playwright, was born with the surname Stein but adopted the name Gertrude Stein as a writer. Her works, including "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" and "Tender Buttons," had a significant influence on modern literature.

Other notable individuals with the STEARN surname include Richard Sterne (1596-1683), an English writer and diplomat, and Roger Sterne (1565-1623), an English judge and legal scholar.

While the STEARN surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, tracing its earliest origins and historical significance remains rooted in the medieval and early modern periods of English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stearn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stearn 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 226 Stearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.81x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 226 58.81x
Suffolk 129 17.46x
Middlesex 72 1.19x
Essex 47 3.92x
Surrey 23 0.78x
Kent 21 1.01x
Norfolk 17 1.82x
Sussex 16 1.56x
Huntingdonshire 12 9.96x
Hampshire 9 0.72x
Lincolnshire 9 0.93x
Lancashire 6 0.08x
Warwickshire 6 0.39x
Bedfordshire 5 1.59x
Monmouthshire 5 1.14x
Berkshire 3 0.66x
Northamptonshire 3 0.53x
Staffordshire 3 0.15x
Cheshire 2 0.15x
Worcestershire 2 0.25x
Yorkshire 2 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.56x
Devon 1 0.08x
Gloucestershire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrewthe Less in Cambridgeshire leads with 58 Stearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.09x.

Place Total Index
St Andrewthe Less 58 132.09x
Chesterton 35 295.36x
West Ham 24 9.08x
Dennington 17 1036.59x
Oakington 16 1415.93x
Teversham 16 3076.92x
Trumpington 16 820.51x
Lambeth 15 2.84x
Dry Drayton 14 1794.87x
Stradbroke 14 560.00x
Islington London 13 2.21x
Stow Upland 13 534.98x
Paddington London 12 5.38x
Stanton 11 628.57x
Sudbury St Gregory 11 185.81x
Ipswich St Clement 10 53.22x
Fulbourn 9 244.57x
Wilby 9 927.84x
Bramfield 8 615.38x
Histon 8 398.01x
Navestock 8 462.43x
Gillingham 7 16.40x
Grantchester 7 292.89x
Mile End Old Town 7 7.31x
Rushford 7 2000.00x
Spalding 7 36.36x
St Giles Cambridge 7 141.13x
Chelmsford 6 29.20x
Chichester St 6 895.52x
Edmonton 6 12.27x
Great Gransden 6 454.55x
Northfleet 6 32.89x
Portsea 6 2.46x
Rumbolds Wyke 6 319.15x
Shoreditch London 6 2.28x
St Marythe Less 6 256.41x
St Pancras London 6 1.23x
Christchurch 5 36.85x
Diss 5 62.50x
Enfield 5 12.56x
Foleshill 5 31.06x
Great Clacton 5 122.55x
Milton 5 434.78x
St Andrewthe Great 5 100.60x
Barrington 4 307.69x
Cottenham 4 78.28x
Hemingford Grey 4 217.39x
Stapleford 4 344.83x
Stowmarket 4 46.84x
Woolpit 4 186.05x
Ampthill 3 63.97x
Bradford 3 8.90x
Broadwater 3 12.79x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 21.63x
Camberwell 3 0.77x
Chatham 3 5.27x
Kensington London 3 0.89x
The Holy Sepulchre 3 319.15x
Thrapston 3 104.53x
Tottenham 3 3.10x
West Bromwich 3 2.56x
Westminster St John 3 4.06x
Winkfield 3 39.68x
Abbotsley 2 208.33x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.76x
Brettenham 2 303.03x
Bury St Edmunds St James 2 10.13x
Buxhall 2 202.02x
Colchester St Giles 2 16.91x
Elmsett 2 222.22x
Gissing 2 212.77x
Great Malvern 2 12.10x
Great Shelford 2 99.01x
Hitcham 2 107.53x
Ipswich St Lawrence 2 200.00x
Kingston On Thames 2 2.82x
Little Shelford 2 186.92x
Tannington 2 465.12x
Tonbridge 2 2.68x
Tranmere 2 4.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 28
Elizabeth 24
Mary 23
Emma 17
Eliza 14
Agnes 10
Alice 10
Annie 9
Clara 9
Emily 9
Harriet 8
Ann 7
Florence 7
Jane 7
Louisa 7
Maria 6
Martha 6
Esther 5
Hannah 5
Kate 5
Margaret 5
Ellen 4
Fanny 4
Phoebe 4
Ada 3
Laura 3
Matilda 3
Rebecca 3
Rosa 3
Susan 3
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Elizebeth 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Lily 2
Minnie 2
Rhoda 2
Sylvia 2
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Elizth 1
Elvina 1
Isabella 1
Isbella 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 33
Thomas 19
George 16
Alfred 15
Charles 15
Arthur 13
Frederick 12
Harry 11
Henry 11
James 9
Robert 9
Walter 9
Edward 8
Ernest 6
David 5
Frank 5
Joseph 5
Richard 4
Albert 3
Ebenezer 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Henery 2
Herbert 2
Jacob 2
Leonard 2
Nathaniel 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Wm. 2
Amelia 1
Amos 1
Artha 1
Benjamin 1
Berry 1
Bristow 1
Chester 1
Ephraim 1
Ephrim 1
Ezra 1
Folkara 1
Forcks 1
Fredrick 1
Isaac 1
James. 1
Jesiah 1
Louis 1
Maurice 1
Phillip 1

FAQ

Stearn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stearn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 627 people were recorded with the Stearn surname. That placed it at #5,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stearn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 946 in 2016. That gives Stearn a modern rank of #6,062.

What does the Stearn surname mean?

An English surname denoting someone stern or severe in demeanor.

What does the Stearn map show?

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