MEARS
Mears is a surname of English origin that can be traced to the Anglo‑Saxon period. The name is first recorded as a topographical designation in the mid‑thirteenth century, being used to describe individuals who dwelt near a natural water body or a boundary line.
The etymology of Mears is derived from the Old English word mere, which means “lake” or “pond”. In some dialects the same term is rendered as mære, signifying a boundary or landmark. Consequently, the surname was employed either to identify a person living adjacent to a lake or to record someone situated on the edge of two districts.
Early documentary sources provide the earliest evidence of the name. The 1269 Assize Court Rolls of Somerset record Robert atte Mere, while the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire include Gregory de la Mere. In 1307, the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield mention Adam del Mere. These entries confirm that the surname was in use by the Norman age and that its spelling varied according to local orthography.
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the spelling of the family name became more regularised. Records from the London Church Registers give examples such as John Merer (married 1563), Joan Meares (christened 1587) and Lydia Meares (christened 1702). In the eighteenth century, a notable holder of the name was John Mears (1695–1767), an Irish Presbyterian minister educated at Glasgow and awarded an M.A. in 1713.
Variations of the surname over the centuries include Meares, Meers, Meres, Mear, Mere and the less frequent forms Meer, Myre, Mire. While the spelling diversity can be attributed to the low literacy levels of the period, it also reflects the different dialectal pronunciations of the word “mere” and “mære”. In some cases the surname may have been adopted from the Irish name O’Meara and subsequently anglicised during the period of suppression of Irish family names.
In contemporary times, Mears remains a relatively common surname in the United Kingdom, ranking within the top two thousand names according to the Office of National Statistics. The name is also found in other English‑speaking countries, most notably in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, although it is less frequent outside the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Mears surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Caroline
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Maeers
- Maers
- Maersk
- Maerz
- Mahr
- Maiers
- Mair
- Maire
- Maires
- Mairis
- Mairs
- Mar
- Maras
- Mare
- Mares
- Margh
- Maris
- Maros
- Marr
- Marras
- Marres
- Marris
- Marrs
- Mars
- Marsa
- Marse
- Marsi
- Marso
- Marus
- Marys
- Marz
- Maure
- Maurice
- Mauris
- Maurs
- Maurus
- Maus
- Mause
- Mawers
- Mawes
- Maws
- Mayers
- Mayr
- Mayre
- Mayres
- Mayrs
- Mear
- Meara
- Meard
- Meare
- Meares
- Mearis
- Mearn
- Mearns
- Mearse
- Mearshe
- Mearus
- Meary
- Meayers
- Meears
- Meer
- Meere
- Meeres
- Meers
- Mehr
- Mehre
- Meir
- Meire
- Meires
- Meiris
- Meirs
- Mer
- Meras
- Meraz
- Mere
- Meres
- Merez
- Merhas
- Meris
- Merks
- Meroz
- Merr
- Merre
- Merris
- Mers
- Merse
- Merz
- Meuris
- Meurs
- Meyre
- Miar
- Miars
- Mier
- Mieras
- Mieres
- Miers
- Miras
- Mires
- Mirz
- Moar
- Moare
- Moares
- Moores
- Moors
- Moorse
- Morais
- Moras
- Moreis
- Mores
- Morez
- Moroz
- Morrice
- Morris
- Morriss
- Morrs
- Mors
- Morss
- Moruzzi
- Mours
- Mower
- Mowers
- Muers
- Muras
- Mures
- Murs
- Myer
- Myers
- Myres
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Mears in...
Braille
⠍⠑⠁⠗⠎
Morse
--..-.-....
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,693 people named Mears in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,662nd most common surname in Britain. Around 87 in a million people in Britain are named Mears.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Mears
- Ray Mears - Woodsman, author, TV presenter
- Tyrone Mears - Football player
- Chris Mears - Diver
- Lee Mears - Rugby union player
- Joe Mears - Football player (1905 to 1966)
- Brian Mears - Football player (1931 to 2009)
- Ray Mears - American college basketball coach (1926 to 2007)
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.