The Searle surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,680 people carried this name — #7,145 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 62,900 people counted. That is up 7% from 4,369 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Searle surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Serle’.

An early record he cites: Hugh Serlson, 1300 — Writs of Parliament.

His entry covers Serle, Searle, Serrell, Serlson, Searles, Serrill, Serrills and Searl.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 678 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 26 people named Searle.

Most of them — 14 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 14
Paris 6
Gironde 2
Marne 2
Yvelines 1
Somme 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

20 people named Searle is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 20

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Searle was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Cornwall: 22 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 455. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cornwall 22
Cambridgeshire 17
Devon 10

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Searle was recorded 11 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1788th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Searle in American newspapers,
1906–1911.

Newspaper page from The Aberdeen Democrat carrying the name Searle
The Aberdeen Democrat 1906-04-13
Newspaper page from The Aberdeen Democrat carrying the name Searle
The Aberdeen Democrat 1906-04-13
Newspaper page from The Citizen carrying the name Searle
The Citizen 1911-11-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Searle in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

53,570 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Searle. The most, 7,659, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,539
Victoria 11,611
Queensland 11,131
South Australia 10,499
Tasmania 3,760
Western Australia 2,647
ACT (Canberra) 205
Northern Territory 48

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

Who carried it

People named Searle,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Searle d. 1746 · gardener
  • Zetus S Searle d. 1876
  • John W. Searle d. 1861
  • Elizabeth Sarah Searle d. 1888
  • Elizabeth Searle d. 1690
  • Frances Searle d. 1888

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Searle,
in the records of 8 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 States640 records

640 records of the Searle name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 150
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 137
  • Other U.S. records 353
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Marvin S. Searle

    Born 1922 in Indiana. Enlisted 1942 at Detroit, Michigan; machinist. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John W. Searle

    Born 1919 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1942 at Boston; longshoreman from Suffolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph Kent Searle

    Born 1947; from Park City, Utah. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Pleiku, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 640 records for Searle in the United States.

Counts: 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. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,547 records

1,547 records of the Searle name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 803
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 310
  • Other Australian records 434
  1. 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 Mary Jane Searle

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sir Charles Forbes, sailing from London in 1826. Native of London, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary Eliza Searle

    Died 1930 in Richmond, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1930.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Walter Searle

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Wandsworth, aged 2; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,547 records for Searle in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada91 records

91 records of the Searle name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 46
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 17
  • Other Canadian records 28
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Stanley George Searle

    Buried in 1954 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 78.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Howard Russell Searle

    Buried in 1989 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 67.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Helen M. Searle

    Died 1901 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 91 records for Searle in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom49 records

49 records of the Searle name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 40
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • Other British records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Ann Searle

    Died 1909, aged 51; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hugh Searle

    Will proved in 1931; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. T. Searle

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 49 records for Searle in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand46 records

46 records of the Searle name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 42
  • Timaru and Mackenzie District cemetery records 2
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gwendoline Susanna Searle

    Died 1948, aged 70; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Colin William Bradley Searle

    Died 1999, aged 82; buried at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Searle

    Died 1938, aged 79; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 46 records for Searle in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

Netherlands11 records

11 records of the Searle name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 5
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jane Ann Searle

    Died 1892 in 's Gravenhage, aged 58; governess.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elisabeth Searle

    Died 1850 in Bemmel, aged 77; midwife.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register William Searle

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1888 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Searle in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France8 records

8 records of the Searle 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 Madeleine Searle

    Born 1908 in Paris; died 1996 in Dijon (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Henri Georges Roland Searle

    Born 1911 in Reims; died 1990 in Reims (Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gerard Marie Jules Searle

    Born 1926 in Paris; died 2000 in Maurepas (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Searle in France.

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).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Searle name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record A. E. Searle

    Census of 1910: Drammensveien, Kristiania; "hofmester", born 1864 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Searle.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Searle is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Searle volume
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