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Mear Family History

Mear Surname Meaning

English (mainly Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire): topographic name from Middle English mere ‘pond, pool’ (Old English mere) or Middle English mere ‘boundary’ (Old English (ge)mǣre); or a habitational name from one or more of the many places with names derived from these terms such as Mere (Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire), Meir in Caverswall (Staffordshire), and Meare (Somerset).

English: variant of Mayer.

Breton (Finistère): regional variant of Le Mer ‘maire’ (see Lemer).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Mear family from?

You can see how Mear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mear families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 133 Mear families living in Staffordshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Mear's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Mear families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mear surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Mear ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Mear. 19% of Mear men worked as a Bricklayer and 78% of Mear women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mear were Colliery Hewer Heavy Worker and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Mear | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Bricklayer
    19%
  • Poultry Farmer
    12%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Colliery Hewer Heavy Worker
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Household Duties
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%

What Mear family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Mear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mear

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Mear. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Mear immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Mear. For the veterans among your Mear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mear family history

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What is the average Mear lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Mear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Mear in 1960 was 74, and 90 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mear

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mear ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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