NameCensus.

UK surname

Vere

A Norman surname derived from French words meaning "true" or "truth".

In the 1881 census there were 231 people recorded with the Vere surname, ranking it #11,722 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 347, ranked #13,259, down from #11,722 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Beaconsfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Gedling and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vere is 352 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.2%.

1881 census count

231

Ranked #11,722

Modern count

347

2016, ranked #13,259

Peak year

2014

352 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vere had 231 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,722 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016, ranked #13,259.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 344 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vere surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vere surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vere 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 231 #11,722
1891 historical 265 #12,208
1901 historical 344 #10,569
1911 historical 277 #12,067
1997 modern 340 #12,428
1998 modern 330 #13,046
1999 modern 321 #13,362
2000 modern 349 #12,585
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 348 #12,674
2003 modern 322 #13,192
2004 modern 316 #13,425
2005 modern 317 #13,323
2006 modern 330 #13,021
2007 modern 334 #13,036
2008 modern 341 #12,958
2009 modern 346 #13,075
2010 modern 345 #13,370
2011 modern 344 #13,249
2012 modern 332 #13,501
2013 modern 335 #13,604
2014 modern 352 #13,206
2015 modern 348 #13,221
2016 modern 347 #13,259

Geography

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Where Veres are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Beaconsfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Gedling, East Lindsey and South Holland. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 014 Ashfield
2 Ashfield 013 Ashfield
3 Gedling 001 Gedling
4 East Lindsey 018 East Lindsey
5 South Holland 007 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vere

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vere

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Vere is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Vere is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vere falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Vere

The surname VERE originated in the Norman French region of France. It first appeared in the early 11th century as a name adopted by the Lords of Vere in Normandy. The name is derived from the Old French word "ver" meaning "true" or "sincere".

The name VERE was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is believed to have been adopted by Norman nobles who settled in England. The Veres established themselves as a prominent noble family in Essex and Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Aubrey de Vere, who was granted lands in Essex by William the Conqueror in 1066. His descendants became the Earls of Oxford, and the family played a significant role in English history for several centuries.

Another notable bearer of the name was Robert de Vere, who served as Duke of Ireland and Earl of Oxford in the 14th century. He was a powerful figure in the court of King Richard II and played a pivotal role in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

In the 15th century, John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, was a prominent military commander during the Wars of the Roses. He fought for the Lancastrian cause and was killed at the Battle of Barnet in 1471.

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550-1604), was a prominent figure in the Elizabethan era and is often proposed as a candidate for the authorship of the works traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare.

Other notable bearers of the name VERE include Sir Francis Vere (1560-1609), an English soldier and military commander during the Eighty Years' War, and Horace Vere (1565-1635), who served as Baron Vere of Tilbury and was also a prominent military figure during the Eighty Years' War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vere families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vere 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. Middlesex leads with 45 Veres recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 1.95x
Lancashire 30 1.10x
Lincolnshire 30 8.15x
Cheshire 27 5.31x
Buckinghamshire 21 15.09x
Yorkshire 16 0.70x
Surrey 12 1.07x
Hampshire 10 2.12x
Devon 9 1.88x
Derbyshire 7 1.94x
Dumfriesshire 5 9.83x
Berkshire 3 1.74x
Northumberland 3 0.88x
Royal Navy 3 10.94x
Staffordshire 3 0.39x
Bedfordshire 2 1.68x
Sussex 2 0.52x
Argyllshire 1 1.56x
Gloucestershire 1 0.22x
Kent 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.32x
Northamptonshire 1 0.46x
Oxfordshire 1 0.70x
Renfrewshire 1 0.56x
Wiltshire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire leads with 10 Veres recorded in 1881 and an index of 775.19x.

Place Total Index
Beaconsfield 10 775.19x
Runcorn 10 85.32x
Bollington In 8 176.99x
Heckington 8 571.43x
Middleton In Oldham 8 97.68x
St George In East 8 51.09x
Stoke Damerel 8 23.85x
Derby St Alkmund 7 64.81x
Altrincham 6 67.57x
Tonge With Haulgh 6 112.78x
Ventnor 6 133.63x
Wycombe 6 57.86x
Brightside Bierlow 5 11.18x
Camberwell 5 3.40x
Canonbie 5 231.48x
Hampstead London 5 13.95x
Horncastle 5 131.58x
Paddington London 5 5.91x
Whaplode 5 400.00x
Astley 4 189.57x
Chelsea London 4 5.77x
Clee With Weelsby 4 49.63x
Fulham London 4 11.98x
Lambeth 4 1.99x
Little Heaton 4 615.38x
Louth 4 47.39x
Alnwick 3 50.93x
Bermondsey 3 4.38x
Finchley 3 33.98x
Halifax 3 8.96x
Islington London 3 1.34x
Royal Navy 3 12.79x
Sheffield 3 4.13x
St Pancras London 3 1.62x
West Bromwich 3 6.74x
Ardwick 2 8.12x
Aylesbury 2 32.41x
Bedford St Cuthbert 2 188.68x
Great Grimsby 2 8.56x
Holy Trinity 2 3.65x
Portsea 2 2.16x
Ryde 2 19.72x
Sandhurst 2 59.70x
Sculcoates 2 5.53x
Wendover 2 133.33x
Widnes 2 10.15x
Alford 1 43.86x
Bartington 1 1250.00x
Beech Hill 1 454.55x
Blackley 1 20.88x
Brighton 1 1.28x
Broadhempston 1 222.22x
Crompton 1 12.85x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 20.00x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 12.74x
Hackney London 1 0.77x
Hammersmith London 1 1.76x
Harefield 1 84.03x
Higher Bebington 1 30.77x
Hove 1 5.87x
Hunsworth 1 83.33x
Kensington London 1 0.78x
Manchester 1 0.81x
Norbury 1 84.75x
Penn 1 114.94x
Salisbury The Close 1 200.00x
Spalding 1 13.70x
St Clement Danes 1 26.81x
St George Hanover 1 3.33x
St Lawrence 1 18.52x
St Martin In Fields 1 7.26x
St Marylebone London 1 0.81x
Swalcliffe Sibford Gower 1 294.12x
Tewkesbury 1 24.81x
Wavertree 1 11.44x
West Greenock 1 3.12x
Westminster St James 1 4.22x
Westminster St John 1 3.57x
Wilby 1 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 9
Ann 8
Sarah 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Florence 3
Alice 2
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Francis 2
Hannah 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Allice 1
Alma 1
Anne 1
Beartrix 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cecelia 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elena 1
Elener 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Julie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lottie 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Mabel 1
Margret 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 14
Thomas 11
Alfred 7
George 6
Charles 5
James 5
Samuel 4
Enos 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edward 1
Eleshia 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hubert 1
Infant 1
Jacob 1
Langton 1
Lenard 1
Louis 1
Mathew 1
Montague 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Vere 1

FAQ

Vere surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vere surname in 1881?

In 1881, 231 people were recorded with the Vere surname. That placed it at #11,722 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vere surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016. That gives Vere a modern rank of #13,259.

What does the Vere surname mean?

A Norman surname derived from French words meaning "true" or "truth".

What does the Vere map show?

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