Dears History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Dears

What does the name Dears mean?

Dears 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 Dears also derived from the animal deer.

Early Origins of the Dears family

The surname Dears 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 Dears family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dears research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1300, 1327 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dears History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dears Spelling Variations

Until 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 Dears include Dear, Deare, Dere, Deer, Dearie, Deir and others.

Early Notables of the Dears family

More information is included under the topic Early Dears Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dears family to Ireland

Some of the Dears 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.

Migration of the Dears family

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 Dears were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Fletcher Dear who settled in Philadelphia in 1820; Joseph, Thomas, and William Deare settled in Virginia between 1637 and 1663; Anne and Darby Deare arrived in New England in 1637.