NameCensus.

UK surname

Wier

Derived from Middle English meaning "weir," referring to someone who lived near or maintained a fish trap or dam.

In the 1881 census there were 220 people recorded with the Wier surname, ranking it #12,087 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 83, ranked #32,815, down from #12,087 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilmodan, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, New Forest and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wier is 304 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 62.3%.

1881 census count

220

Ranked #12,087

Modern count

83

2016, ranked #32,815

Peak year

1851

304 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Wier had 220 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,087 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 83 in 2016, ranked #32,815.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 304 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Wier surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wier surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wier 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 214 #11,365
1881 historical 220 #12,087
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 192 #15,518
1911 historical 162 #17,003
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 92 #31,909
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 82 #32,911
2016 modern 83 #32,815

Geography

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Where Wiers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilmodan, London parishes, Edinburgh, Elsing and East Dereham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wycombe, New Forest, Walsall, Middlesbrough and Shropshire. 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 Kilmodan Argyll
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Elsing Norfolk
5 East Dereham Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wycombe 002 Wycombe
2 New Forest 021 New Forest
3 Walsall 028 Walsall
4 Middlesbrough 009 Middlesbrough
5 Shropshire 034 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wier

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wier

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Wier surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wier household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wier 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

Wier is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wier falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wier

The surname WIER is of English and Scottish origin, derived from the Old English word "wer" or "wyer," meaning a dam or weir, a structure built across a river to control the flow of water. This name is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked at a weir.

The earliest known record of the WIER surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Northumberland, England. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Thomas de la Wyre.

In Scotland, the WIER surname is found in several areas, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Scottish Borders. It is believed that some instances of the name may have derived from the place name Weir, a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Notable historical figures with the WIER surname include:

1. Thomas Weir (c. 1670-1670), a Scottish man who was convicted and executed for witchcraft and other crimes in Edinburgh in 1670.

2. William Weir (1802-1858), a Scottish poet and songwriter born in Greenock, known for his works celebrating the Renfrewshire region.

3. Robert Walter Weir (1803-1889), an American painter and educator who served as the president of the National Academy of Design in New York.

4. John Ferguson Weir (1837-1926), an American painter and sculptor, the son of Robert Walter Weir, known for his portraits and genre scenes.

5. Wilfred Weir (1888-1945), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Alberta from 1935 to 1937.

Over time, the WIER surname has undergone various spellings, such as Weir, Wyer, Wier, Wyre, Wyre, and Wier. These variations can be found in historical records and documents across different regions where the name was prevalent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wier families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wier 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. Norfolk leads with 38 Wiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.57x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 38 11.57x
Lanarkshire 30 4.34x
Middlesex 29 1.36x
Warwickshire 25 4.64x
Surrey 12 1.15x
Ayrshire 10 6.26x
Durham 10 1.57x
Kent 10 1.37x
Fife 9 7.12x
Lancashire 7 0.28x
Northumberland 7 2.20x
Cheshire 5 1.06x
Cumberland 4 2.18x
Shropshire 4 2.17x
Midlothian 3 1.05x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.01x
Angus 2 1.01x
Essex 2 0.47x
Roxburghshire 2 5.17x
Staffordshire 2 0.28x
Sussex 2 0.56x
Yorkshire 2 0.09x
Banffshire 1 2.26x
Stirlingshire 1 1.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Wiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.72x.

Place Total Index
Barony 17 9.72x
Elsing 16 5517.24x
Aston 14 9.44x
Birmingham 11 6.13x
East Dereham 10 240.96x
Kensington London 10 8.42x
Cambusnethan 8 52.15x
Dalmellington 8 170.21x
Dysart 7 82.16x
Shoreditch London 7 7.56x
Clapham 6 22.47x
Bigges Quarter 5 2631.58x
Folkestone 5 35.36x
Liverpool 5 3.25x
St Mary Virgin In Marsh 5 3571.43x
Wolsingham 5 86.36x
Bermondsey 4 6.29x
Limehouse London 4 17.06x
Pulham St Mary Magdalen 4 487.80x
Swanton Morley 4 800.00x
Dawdon 3 38.36x
Govan 3 1.76x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 55.35x
Birkenhead 2 5.32x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 2 95.69x
Brighton 2 2.75x
Clerkenwell London 2 3.97x
Dundee 2 2.71x
Dunfermline 2 10.29x
Fyvie 2 61.92x
Hackney London 2 1.67x
Hawick 2 23.09x
Rickergate 2 51.41x
Southwark St Thomas 2 350.88x
St Pancras London 2 1.16x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 2.62x
West Ham 2 2.15x
Westgate 2 10.16x
York All Sts Pavement 2 833.33x
Alveley 1 136.99x
Bishops Castle In 1 92.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.87x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 17.99x
Falkirk 1 5.42x
Galston 1 22.88x
Glasgow 1 0.82x
Hackford In Aylsham 1 169.49x
Hamilton 1 5.19x
Heigham 1 5.67x
Keith 1 21.19x
Mauchline 1 54.35x
Paddington London 1 1.27x
Raveningham 1 555.56x
Salford 1 1.34x
St Marylebone London 1 0.88x
Stranton 1 4.68x
Temple 1 87.72x
Underskiddaw 1 256.41x
Wardleworth 1 6.90x
Whitehaven 1 10.20x
Willington 1 27.25x
Wymondham 1 29.76x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 9
James 7
Charles 6
George 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Reuben 2
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edward 1
Emanaul 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
J.H. 1
Julia 1
Patk. 1
Robert 1
Saml 1
Wallace 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wier surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wier surname in 1881?

In 1881, 220 people were recorded with the Wier surname. That placed it at #12,087 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wier surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 83 in 2016. That gives Wier a modern rank of #32,815.

What does the Wier surname mean?

Derived from Middle English meaning "weir," referring to someone who lived near or maintained a fish trap or dam.

What does the Wier map show?

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