CARE
Care is an English surname of Anglo‑Saxon origin, deriving ultimately from the Old English word caegere, meaning key‑smith. The suffix -er denotes an agent, indicating that the original bearer was a maker of keys, a skilled craft that was highly valued in medieval society.
Through the Middle Ages the name appeared in several variations that reflect both dialectal differences and changes in spelling conventions. The earliest attestation is found in the Northumberland Pipe Rolls of 1178 as Adam filius Cheigher, a Latinised form of the occupational descriptor. Subsequent records include Richard le Kayer of London (1287), William le Keer of Leicestershire (1303) and Richard Kere of Essex (1322). By the late 13th century the surname also appears as Robert le Keyere in the Hundred Rolls of Kent (1275), during the reign of King Edward I.
In addition to the occupational sense, the name Care can also be traced to a Middle English nickname. The word care meaning anxiety or worry was used to describe a person known for being conscientious or perhaps overly concerned. This nickname form would have been applied independently of the key‑smith occupation, resulting in a convergence of surnames that look identical in modern spelling.
There is also a topographic explanation for some bearers of the surname. In certain dialects, care can refer to a small hill or mound, so a person living near such a feature may have been identified by that landmark. This topographic derivation is less commonly recorded but remains a plausible source for the name in some localities.
Variant spellings such as Keer, Kear and Core persist in contemporary records, as do the forms that preserve the occupational association. Marriage entries, for example, show an anne Adèle Kear marrying a Mr. Parker on 17 May 1567 at Christchurch, Newgate, London. These entries illustrate the continued use of the family name through the Tudor period and into the modern era.
Throughout its history, the surname Care has remained firmly rooted in Britain, particularly within England. Its bearers have traditionally been members of Christian communities, reflecting the broader cultural context of medieval and early modern England. Today the surname is still encountered in the United Kingdom, with a modest but recognisable presence in census and parish records.
Typical given names associated with the Care surname
Male
- Andrew
- Daniel
- David
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Matthew
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Angela
- Caroline
- Christine
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Gemma
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Joyce
- Kirsty
- Linda
- Lisa
- Louise
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Acre
- Caar
- Caer
- Cair
- Caira
- Caire
- Caires
- Cairey
- Cairo
- Cairs
- Cairy
- Car
- Cara
- Carah
- Caray
- Carce
- Card
- Carde
- Carek
- Carel
- Carell
- Careme
- Caren
- Carer
- Cares
- Caress
- Caret
- Carew
- Carewe
- Carews
- Carey
- Carfe
- Cari
- Carie
- Carke
- Carme
- Carne
- Caro
- Caroe
- Caroo
- Carow
- Carp
- Carpe
- Carr
- Carra
- Carre
- Carrea
- Carreau
- Carree
- Carres
- Carrew
- Carrey
- Carri
- Carrie
- Carro
- Carrou
- Carrs
- Carru
- Carry
- Cars
- Carse
- Carte
- Carue
- Carve
- Cary
- Cau
- Caue
- Caur
- Caure
- Cause
- Caw
- Cawe
- Cawes
- Cawrey
- Cayre
- Chor
- Chore
- Coar
- Coare
- Coor
- Cor
- Core
- Corea
- Coree
- Cores
- Corey
- Corie
- Corr
- Corre
- Correa
- Correia
- Corrie
- Corue
- Cour
- Coure
- Crae
- Cree
- Cur
- Cure
- Curea
- Cureau
- Cures
- Curey
- Curie
- Curoe
- Curr
- Curre
- Currea
- Curree
- Gare
- Gor
- Gora
- Kaare
- Kahr
- Kair
- Kaire
- Kar
- Kare
- Karr
- Karre
- Kaura
- Kayr
- Kear
- Keare
- Keer
- Ker
- Kerai
- Kere
- Kerr
- Khaire
- Khare
- Khares
- Khayre
- Kiar
- Kire
- Kore
- Kour
- Kure
- Quarrie
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Care in...
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 904 people named Care in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,988th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named Care.
Origin: Anglo-Saxon
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Care
- Danny Care - Rugby union player
- Peter Care - Music video director
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.