Sears
An occupational surname for someone who worked as a tailor, dressmaker, or armorer.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,429 Americans carry the last name Sears. That puts it at #1,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,157 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sears surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
37K
1 in 9,157
Census rank
#1,085
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 32,206 bearers of the surname Sears in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sears, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sears
The surname Sears is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "sear," meaning dry or withered. It was originally an occupational name for someone who made or sold dry goods.
Sears is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Saier" in the county of Oxfordshire. In the 13th century, the name appears as "le Sers" in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire.
The earliest known bearer of the name was John le Sers, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1230. Another early reference is William le Seer, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
The name Sears is also found in various place names, such as Sears Green in Essex, which was originally recorded as "Seresgrene" in 1320. Another example is Sears Fold in Lancashire, which was known as "Seresfold" in 1322.
Notable individuals with the surname Sears include Richard Sears (1863-1914), the American businessman who founded the Sears, Roebuck and Company retail corporation. George Franklin Sears (1821-1890) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi.
Other historical figures with the Sears name include Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810-1876), an American Unitarian minister and author who wrote the popular Christmas carol "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." Isaac Sears (1730-1786) was an American merchant and political activist who played a prominent role in the American Revolution.
Thomas Sears (1805-1888) was an English astronomer and meteorologist who made significant contributions to the study of comets and meteors. He was a founding member of the Royal Astronomical Society in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sears
Among Census respondents with the surname Sears, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sears bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sears surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.4%
- Black or African American10.9%
- Hispanic or Latino2.2%
- Two or more races2.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Sears surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,085 | #1,085 | 0.0% |
| Count | 32,206 | 32,206 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 10.92 | 10.92 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Sears bearers went from 32,206 to 32,206 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #1,085 to #1,085.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sears
FAQ
Sears surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Sears?
The surname Sears holds position #1,085 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 37,429 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 10.92 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Sears surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sears, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.