Find out how popular the last name Mears is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mears.

Mears, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mears surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mears in America

Mears is the 3569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mears surname appeared 9,988 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Mears.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mears to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mears

The surname Mears is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "mere" which referred to a boundary or a lake. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a boundary or a body of water.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Mears can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties of England, particularly in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Robert de la Mere, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, and William atte Mere, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings such as Mere, Mer, Meare, and Meares, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. The spelling "Mears" became more widespread in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names derived from the word "mere," such as Mere in Wiltshire and Mere in Cheshire.

One notable individual who bore the surname Mears was Richard Mears (1573-1638), a member of the Virginia Company of London, who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts of Virginia in the 17th century.

Another prominent figure with the surname Mears was John Mears (1758-1826), a British engineer and inventor who is credited with designing and constructing several notable bridges and canals in England, including the Caledonian Canal in Scotland.

In the literary world, Martha Mears (1892-1978) was an American novelist and short story writer, known for her works that explored themes of rural life and the American South.

Sir Robert Mears (1883-1968) was a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Bristol in the early 20th century.

Lastly, George Mears (1866-1933) was a British architect and designer who played a pivotal role in the Arts and Crafts movement, designing several notable buildings and furniture pieces in the distinctive Arts and Crafts style.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mears

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mears.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mears was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mears has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mears was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mears, please contact us.

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