The Dear surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,677 people carried this name — #8,906 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 80,000 people counted. That is up 2% from 3,602 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dear surname

English surname, related to the adjective dear and noun deer (from Old English deor (“wild animal”), used in many senses).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dear» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the dear’.

An early record he cites: Lawrence le Dere, c. 1300 — Writs of Parliament.

His entry covers Dear, Deare, Deer and Deere.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 234 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

23 families named Dear, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 121 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Virginia 11
Connecticut 5
North Carolina 3
New York 1
Pennsylvania 1
Maryland 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 236 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dear in American newspapers,
1887–1889.

Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Dear
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1887-12-21
Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Dear
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1889-10-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,857 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dear in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

82,627 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dear. The most, 22,883, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 26,547
New South Wales 21,119
South Australia 13,438
Queensland 11,554
Tasmania 5,126
Western Australia 4,537
ACT (Canberra) 150
Northern Territory 50

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dear.

Who carried it

People named Dear,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Cleveland Dear
    Cleveland Dear 1888–1950 · judge
  • Brian Douglas George Dear d. 1942
  • Robert Henry Dear d. 1941
  • Elizabeth Warton 1765–
  • Alf Dear 1878–1906 · Australian rules football player
  • Cyrene B. Dear 1896–1992 · columnist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dear,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States348 records

348 records of the Dear name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 123
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 68
  • Other U.S. records 157
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert L. Dear

    Born 1917 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1966, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henrietta Dear

    Arrived at New York in 1866 aboard the Hecla from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record William J. L. Dear

    Confederate Army veteran. Born 1820, died 1882; buried at Hemphill Star Cemetery, Pineville, Louisiana.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 348 records for Dear in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia434 records

434 records of the Dear name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 156
  • Tasmanian Names Index 148
  • Other Australian records 130
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard Edward Dear

    Died 1880 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 71. Will registered in Tasmania in 1880.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Emma Blanche Dear

    Born 1868 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1896 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 28.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Dear

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Glory, arriving 1818; ticket of leave 1830. Native of London.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 434 records for Dear in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Netherlands91 records

91 records of the Dear name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 60
  • Dutch population registers 31
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hubertus Dear

    Married in 1826 in Maastricht; gunner, born 1802 in Maastricht. Died 1872 in Maastricht, aged 70.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Anna Dear

    Born 1837 in Maastricht. Married in 1858 in Maastricht; day labourer.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Anna Dear

    Born 1899 in Maastricht. Died 1899 in Maastricht.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 91 records for Dear in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada35 records

35 records of the Dear name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 20
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 6
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record H.j Dear

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Collingwood, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Hazel Harriet Dear

    Buried in 1995 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 85.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Dear

    Died 1868 in Preston, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 35 records for Dear in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Dear name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Dear

    Gunner, Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Dear

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Dear

    Corporal, Hampshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Dear in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Dear name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leslie Gordon Dear

    Died 1947, aged 62; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Dear name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Doreen Dear

    Born 1915 in Barbade; died 2001 in Carpentras (Vaucluse).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dear.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dear is.
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