| ![Show Contents]() Dear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of DearWhat does the name Dear mean? Dear is an ancient name dating from the times of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was a beloved person or as a term of endearment. The surname Dear also derived from the animal deer. Early Origins of the Dear familyThe surname Dear was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early History of the Dear familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dear research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1300, 1327 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dear Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Dear include Dear, Deare, Dere, Deer, Dearie, Deir and others. Early Notables of the Dear familyMore information is included under the topic Early Dear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dear RankingIn the United States, the name Dear is the 6,498th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 Migration of the Dear family to IrelandSome of the Dear family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Dear migration to the United States | + |
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Dear were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:
Dear Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Edmund Dear, who landed in Massachusetts in 1654 2
Dear Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Fletcher Dear who settled in Philadelphia in 1820
| Dear migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Dear Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Wellington Dear, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3
- Mr. William Dear, (b. 1819), aged 17, English Errand Boy who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1875 4
- James Dear, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince George" in 1838 5
- Ann Dear, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1851 6
| Dear migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Dear Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- William Dear, aged 29, a bricklayer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
- Harriet Dear, aged 29, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
- Harry W. Dear, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
- Walter J. Dear, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
| Contemporary Notables of the name Dear (post 1700) | + |
- Noach Dear (1953-2020), American attorney, politician, and jurist, Justice of New York Supreme Court (2015-2020); he died from COVID-19
- Brigadier-General William Richard Dear (1883-1956), American Commanding General Northington General Hospital (1943-1946) 7
- Matthew Dear, American music producer, DJ and electronic avant-pop artist
- Cleveland Dear (1888-1950), American politician, U.S. Representative from Louisiana
- Noach Dear, American politician, Representative from New York 9th District, 2000; Candidate for New York State Senate 21st District, 2002, 2006 8
- Joseph A. Dear (1840-1908), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1908 8
- John K. Dear, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 1960 8
- Jim Dear, American politician, Mayor of Carson, California; Elected 2004 8
- Homer Dear, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives 89th District; Elected 1992, 1994 8
- Frank Dear, American politician, Mayor of Hibbing, Minnesota, 1903 8
- ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Dear family | + |
- Mr. Nelson L Dear (b. 1910), English Musician serving for the Royal Marine Band from Lydd, Kent, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 9
- Alfred James Dear (1906-1939), British Sergeant with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 10
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCE GEORGE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PrinceGeorge-London.htm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CAROLINE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Caroline.gif
- Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 10) William Dear. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Dear/William_Richard/USA.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
- Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
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