NameCensus.

UK surname

Stears

An English surname derived from the Old English word "stǣr" meaning steep bank or shore.

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Stears surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hollingbourn and Brading. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Carmarthenshire and Dacorum.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stears is 240 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.6%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2000

240 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stears had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stears surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stears surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stears 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 198 #15,213
1911 historical 235 #13,484
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 237 #16,360
2000 modern 240 #16,186
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 223 #17,099
2003 modern 212 #17,454
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 209 #18,730
2012 modern 187 #20,086
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Stears' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hollingbourn, Brading, Portsmouth, Portsea and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Carmarthenshire and Dacorum. 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 Hollingbourn Kent
3 Brading Hampshire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 016 Swale
2 Swale 015 Swale
3 Swale 013 Swale
4 Carmarthenshire 021 Carmarthenshire
5 Dacorum 021 Dacorum

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stears

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stears

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Stears is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stears 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

Stears falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stears

The surname STEARS is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "stiora," meaning "steer" or "guide." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th century as an occupational name for a steersman or helmsman, someone responsible for guiding ships or boats.

The earliest recorded instance of the STEARS surname dates back to the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208, where one Robert le Sterman is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Sterman," is thought to be an early form of the STEARS name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various public records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Stieresman is listed in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "Stieresman," further reinforces the occupational origin of the name.

The STEARS surname was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William le Stieresman is recorded. These early records suggest that the name was most prevalent in the central and northern regions of England during the Middle Ages.

One notable bearer of the STEARS surname was Sir John Steer (c. 1495-1545), a prominent English merchant and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Lord Mayor of London and was involved in diplomatic missions to the Netherlands and France.

Another notable individual was William Stears (1603-1679), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford from 1660 until his death.

In the 17th century, the STEARS surname also appeared in various parish records, such as the baptism of John Stears in St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1648.

During the 18th century, the name was found in various locations across England, including the baptism of Mary Stears in Wrotham, Kent, in 1731, and the marriage of Thomas Stears and Ann Hearn in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, in 1767.

In the 19th century, notable bearers of the STEARS surname included John Stears (1793-1859), an English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London, and George Stears (1812-1889), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Whitehaven.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stears families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stears 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. Kent leads with 44 Stears' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.07x.

County Total Index
Kent 44 7.07x
Middlesex 33 1.81x
Hampshire 27 7.22x
Bedfordshire 17 18.00x
Surrey 17 1.91x
Hertfordshire 16 12.73x
Essex 12 3.33x
Lancashire 11 0.51x
Yorkshire 6 0.33x
Cumberland 2 1.27x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.91x
Royal Navy 1 4.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hollingbourn in Kent leads with 13 Stears' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1805.56x.

Place Total Index
Hollingbourn 13 1805.56x
Portsea 12 16.38x
Leighton Buzzard 11 270.94x
Brading 9 181.09x
Deptford St Paul 8 16.67x
Canvey Island 7 4117.65x
Elton 7 93.58x
Hemel Hempstead 7 123.46x
Spitalfields London 7 51.02x
Watford 7 71.79x
Egerton 6 1111.11x
Luton 6 36.70x
Barking 5 47.44x
Clerkenwell London 5 11.61x
Harrietsham 5 1190.48x
St George Hanover 5 21.00x
Bermondsey 4 7.37x
Camberwell 4 3.43x
Rochester St Margaret 4 60.98x
Rotherhithe 4 17.75x
Willesden 4 23.27x
Dartford 3 47.17x
Holy Trinity 3 6.90x
Kensington London 3 2.96x
Leeds 3 2.94x
Aldenham 2 175.44x
Alverstoke 2 14.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 5.82x
Hammersmith London 2 4.45x
Kingston On Thames 2 9.37x
Penrith 2 34.48x
Portsmouth 2 23.23x
Uxbridge 2 96.15x
Woolwich 2 8.70x
Battersea 1 1.49x
Enfield 1 8.35x
Farnborough 1 25.45x
Feltham 1 54.95x
Fleet Marston 1 5000.00x
Gravesend 1 18.98x
Hillingdon 1 17.18x
Hulme 1 2.21x
Lambeth 1 0.63x
Millbrook 1 10.62x
Newington 1 1.48x
Pluckley 1 172.41x
Royal Navy 1 5.38x
Salford 1 1.57x
St Luke London 1 3.42x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.16x
Tonbridge 1 4.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Emma 4
Harriet 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Clara 2
Rosa 2
Susannah 2
(Mrs) 1
Adalaide 1
Anglare 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Christian 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francies 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Leptheple 1
Levina 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Mimi 1
Nellie 1
Rhoda 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
George 8
Edward 7
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Harry 4
Henry 4
James 4
John 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Samuel 3
F. 2
Frederick 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Douglas 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Issac 1
Josiah 1
Lewis 1
Martha 1
Oliver 1
Richd. 1
Rupert 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Stears surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stears surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Stears surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stears surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Stears a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Stears surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "stǣr" meaning steep bank or shore.

What does the Stears map show?

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