Fears History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Fears family has descended through the lines of the ancient Normans that came to England following their Conquest of England in 1066. The Fears name reveals that an early member was a companion, friend. It derives from the Middle English word “feare,” which means “the proud,” “the fierce” or “the bold.” [1]

Early Origins of the Fears family

The surname Fears was first found in Middlesex where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were originally descended from Vere from Manche in the arrondisement of Coutances in Normandy, and Aubrey de Vere was an undertenant in Kensington, Middlesex, and two places in Northampton. [2]

By the 13th century the family was scattered throughout ancient Britain. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 listed Walter Fere in Oxfordshire and a few years later, Roger le Feer was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 in Essex. [3]

In Somerset, some of the first records were found in Kirby’s Quest, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) William le Fer and Robert le Fere were both listed at that time holding lands there. [4]

Early History of the Fears family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fears research.

Fears Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person’s name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Fears family name include Fear, Fere and others.

Fears Ranking

In the United States, the name Fears is the 5,032^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [5]

Migration of the Fears family to Ireland

Some of the Fears family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Fears migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Fears family to immigrate North America: 

Fears Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Alexander Fears, aged 24, who arrived in Missouri in 1849 [6]
• Edward Fears, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1879 [6]

Fears Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• Alice Fears, aged 45, who settled in America, in 1912
• Albert Fears, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1915
• Charles Fears, aged 51, who immigrated to the United States, in 1917