NameCensus.

UK surname

Steer

An occupational surname denoting one who herds cattle.

In the 1881 census there were 3,478 people recorded with the Steer surname, ranking it #1,306 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,352, ranked #1,566, down from #1,306 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Crediton, Colebroke, Shobrooke, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Cruwys Morchard and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Steer is 5,080 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.1%.

1881 census count

3,478

Ranked #1,306

Modern count

4,352

2016, ranked #1,566

Peak year

1911

5,080 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Steer had 3,478 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,306 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,352 in 2016, ranked #1,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,080 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Steer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Steer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Steer 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 2,429 #1,226
1861 historical 2,074 #1,391
1881 historical 3,478 #1,306
1891 historical 3,819 #1,260
1901 historical 4,618 #1,225
1911 historical 5,080 #1,036
1997 modern 4,612 #1,421
1998 modern 4,766 #1,425
1999 modern 4,777 #1,437
2000 modern 4,668 #1,460
2001 modern 4,545 #1,469
2002 modern 4,657 #1,463
2003 modern 4,525 #1,464
2004 modern 4,497 #1,475
2005 modern 4,346 #1,508
2006 modern 4,328 #1,515
2007 modern 4,357 #1,520
2008 modern 4,366 #1,526
2009 modern 4,460 #1,525
2010 modern 4,548 #1,531
2011 modern 4,474 #1,533
2012 modern 4,366 #1,540
2013 modern 4,421 #1,552
2014 modern 4,474 #1,542
2015 modern 4,388 #1,560
2016 modern 4,352 #1,566

Geography

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Where Steers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Crediton, Colebroke, Shobrooke, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Cruwys Morchard, Brighton and Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams and Teignbridge. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Crediton, Colebroke, Shobrooke, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Cruwys Morchard Devon
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 011 South Hams
2 Teignbridge 007 Teignbridge
3 Teignbridge 009 Teignbridge
4 South Hams 006 South Hams
5 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Steer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Steer

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

Steer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Steer

The surname STEER is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "stiora," which means "guide" or "steersman." This word eventually evolved into the modern English word "steer," referring to someone who steered or guided a plow, ship, or other vehicle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the STEER surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1242, where a William le Stier is mentioned. The use of the Norman French prefix "le" suggests that the name was already well-established in England by this time.

The STEER surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a John le Stiere is listed. This variation in spelling, with the addition of an "e" at the end, was common in medieval times.

In the 14th century, the STEER surname appears in various records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which mentions a Thomas le Stiere. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of the country.

One notable bearer of the STEER surname was John Steer, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol in the late 15th century. He was born around 1440 and played an important role in the city's governance and trade.

In the 16th century, the STEER surname can be found in the Parish Registers of Warwickshire, where a William Steer was recorded in 1558. This spelling, without the Norman French prefix, became more common as the English language evolved.

Another notable individual with the STEER surname was Sir Thomas Steer, a wealthy landowner and member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the 17th century. He was born in 1616 and was knighted by King Charles II in 1660 for his loyalty during the English Civil War.

The STEER surname continued to be found throughout England in the following centuries, with bearers of the name often associated with occupations related to agriculture, transportation, or navigation, reflecting the surname's original meaning.

It's worth noting that the STEER surname is also found in various spelling variations, such as Stier, Steere, and Stere, due to historical changes in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Steer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Steer 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 918 Steers recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.93x.

County Total Index
Devon 918 12.93x
Surrey 612 3.68x
Sussex 397 6.90x
Middlesex 350 1.03x
Kent 238 2.04x
Yorkshire 184 0.54x
Hampshire 82 1.17x
Somerset 73 1.33x
Cornwall 67 1.73x
Glamorgan 61 1.03x
Lancashire 55 0.14x
Gloucestershire 41 0.61x
Dorset 34 1.52x
Derbyshire 33 0.62x
Essex 32 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 32 0.70x
Berkshire 31 1.21x
Lincolnshire 30 0.55x
Durham 23 0.23x
Warwickshire 22 0.26x
Cheshire 18 0.24x
Channel Islands 14 1.39x
Denbighshire 13 1.01x
Northamptonshire 13 0.41x
Midlothian 12 0.26x
Monmouthshire 12 0.49x
Worcestershire 12 0.27x
Bedfordshire 11 0.62x
Hertfordshire 10 0.43x
Staffordshire 9 0.08x
Leicestershire 8 0.21x
Brecknockshire 7 1.03x
Northumberland 7 0.14x
Royal Navy 7 1.72x
Anglesey 6 0.99x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.37x
Norfolk 3 0.06x
Rutland 2 0.80x
Suffolk 2 0.05x
West Lothian 2 0.39x
Wiltshire 2 0.07x
Berwickshire 1 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 82 Steers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.07x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 82 7.07x
Plymouth St Andrew 77 14.08x
Croydon 64 6.94x
Crediton 58 86.21x
Battersea 57 4.54x
Stokenham 50 250.00x
Lambeth 49 1.65x
South Milton 45 1097.56x
Bovey Tracey 42 169.08x
Islington London 38 1.15x
St Pancras London 38 1.38x
Wath On Dearne 36 53.37x
Wolborough 33 36.76x
Petworth 32 93.16x
Portsea 32 2.34x
Rotherham 32 16.79x
Clapham 30 7.03x
Reigate Foreign 29 16.11x
Greenwich 28 5.16x
Newington 28 2.22x
Plymouth Charles The 28 8.95x
Limpsfield 27 169.92x
Stoke Damerel 27 5.43x
Horsell 25 238.10x
Nottingham St Mary 25 2.10x
Modbury 24 132.38x
South Perrott 24 677.97x
Billingshurst 22 116.77x
Brixham 22 26.74x
East Grinstead 22 27.02x
St George Hanover 22 4.94x
Bethnal Green London 21 1.42x
Bigbury 21 398.48x
Ecclesfield 21 8.47x
Kensington London 21 1.11x
Lingfield 21 64.83x
Neath 20 16.55x
Exeter St Mary Major 19 44.38x
Oldham 19 1.45x
New Shoreham 18 52.22x
Sheffield 18 1.67x
Hackney London 17 0.89x
Lancing 17 107.59x
Newton St Cyres 17 170.68x
St Marylebone London 17 0.93x
Beckenham 16 10.52x
Camberwell 16 0.73x
Kingsbridge 16 89.64x
Westminster St James 16 4.56x
Barnstaple 15 13.46x
Bermondsey 15 1.48x
Eltham 15 21.99x
Godalming 15 14.33x
Horsham 15 13.43x
Lewisham 15 2.42x
Plumstead 15 3.87x
Pulborough 15 71.06x
Tiverton 15 12.26x
Tormoham 15 4.99x
Westerham 15 55.87x
Bedminster 14 2.71x
East Stonehouse 14 10.01x
Paddington London 14 1.12x
Tonbridge 14 3.34x
Woking 14 13.97x
Bow 13 136.55x
Exmoor 13 356.16x
Holbeton 13 99.92x
Leatherhead 13 31.23x
Newton Abbot St Mary 13 21.83x
Oxted 13 64.97x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 3.81x
Brightside Bierlow 12 1.81x
Chelsea London 12 1.17x
Chertsey 12 11.17x
Derby St Alkmund 12 7.50x
Esher 12 51.57x
Nether Hallam 12 2.62x
South Leith 12 2.33x
Yealmpton 12 110.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 221
Elizabeth 139
Sarah 90
Jane 67
Alice 65
Eliza 65
Ellen 65
Emma 65
Emily 55
Ann 53
Annie 43
Fanny 37
Florence 30
Charlotte 26
Kate 26
Caroline 25
Hannah 25
Edith 23
Louisa 23
Martha 20
Ada 19
Clara 19
Maria 19
Margaret 18
Harriett 16
Lucy 15
Selina 14
Catherine 13
Elizth. 13
Frances 13
Harriet 13
Susan 13
Bessie 11
Grace 11
Agnes 10
Amelia 10
Amy 9
Francis 9
Jessie 9
Maud 9
Anne 8
Lydia 8
Matilda 8
Minnie 8
Rosa 8
Bertha 7
Gertrude 7
Rose 7
Mabel 6
Rebecca 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 240
John 176
George 164
James 111
Thomas 105
Henry 79
Charles 77
Alfred 52
Joseph 47
Richard 36
Walter 35
Frederick 30
Albert 29
Arthur 29
Robert 29
Samuel 29
Edwin 25
Edward 22
Harry 22
Ernest 20
Francis 15
Frank 12
Wm. 12
Herbert 11
Philip 11
Sidney 9
Abraham 8
Edmund 8
Fred 7
Sydney 7
Geo. 6
Alexander 5
Chas. 5
David 5
Fredrick 5
Percy 5
Phillip 5
Tom 5
Benjamin 4
Ebenezer 4
Eli 4
Fredk. 4
Isaac 4
Jasper 4
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Nicholas 4
Reuben 4
Leonard 3
Stephen 3

FAQ

Steer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Steer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,478 people were recorded with the Steer surname. That placed it at #1,306 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Steer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,352 in 2016. That gives Steer a modern rank of #1,566.

What does the Steer surname mean?

An occupational surname denoting one who herds cattle.

What does the Steer map show?

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