NameCensus.

UK surname

Spackman

An occupational surname referring to a worker who applied spackle or plaster to walls and ceilings.

In the 1881 census there were 885 people recorded with the Spackman surname, ranking it #4,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 912, ranked #6,246, down from #4,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and Cardiff St John and St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Powys and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spackman is 1,165 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.1%.

1881 census count

885

Ranked #4,292

Modern count

912

2016, ranked #6,246

Peak year

1911

1,165 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spackman had 885 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 912 in 2016, ranked #6,246.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spackman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Spackman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Spackman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spackman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 629 #4,129
1861 historical 517 #5,061
1881 historical 885 #4,292
1891 historical 959 #4,313
1901 historical 1,105 #4,368
1911 historical 1,165 #4,012
1997 modern 986 #5,564
1998 modern 1,057 #5,416
1999 modern 1,043 #5,521
2000 modern 1,033 #5,534
2001 modern 1,003 #5,568
2002 modern 1,012 #5,634
2003 modern 974 #5,712
2004 modern 960 #5,799
2005 modern 927 #5,894
2006 modern 919 #5,945
2007 modern 927 #5,951
2008 modern 917 #6,054
2009 modern 931 #6,082
2010 modern 976 #5,984
2011 modern 964 #5,992
2012 modern 916 #6,162
2013 modern 948 #6,094
2014 modern 946 #6,148
2015 modern 921 #6,223
2016 modern 912 #6,246

Geography

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Where Spackmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Cliffe Pypard, Broadhinton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Powys, South Oxfordshire, Weymouth and Portland and Sefton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Cliffe Pypard, Broadhinton Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Powys 015 Powys
3 South Oxfordshire 015 South Oxfordshire
4 Weymouth and Portland 004 Weymouth and Portland
5 Sefton 023 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spackman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Spackman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spackman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spackman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Spackman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spackman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Spackman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spackman is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spackman falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spackman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Spackman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spackman

The surname Spackman has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "spæc" meaning "dry wood or twigs" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname referring to a person who worked with kindling or firewood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spackman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Spakeman." This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, was a census-like record of landholders and their possessions.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as "Spakeman," "Spakman," and "Spakemon" in records from counties like Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This variation in spelling was common in those times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Spackman surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was John Spackman, a renowned English clergyman and academic who lived from 1572 to 1642. He served as the Headmaster of Taunton Grammar School and was later appointed as the Archdeacon of Taunton in 1633.

Another notable Spackman was Benjamin Spackman, a 17th-century English poet and playwright born in Somerset around 1620. Although his works are largely obscure today, he was a contemporary of renowned writers like John Milton and Andrew Marvell.

In the 18th century, the Spackman family had a presence in the town of Chippenham, Wiltshire. Records show that a William Spackman was a prominent landowner and benefactor in the area, contributing to the construction of the town's almshouses in 1767.

Moving into the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Spackman surname was Sir Bartle Frere Spackman, a British colonial administrator and diplomat born in 1815. He served as Governor of Bombay from 1862 to 1867 and played a significant role in the governance of British India.

Another notable Spackman was Henry Spackman, born in 1856 in Somerset, who was a prominent architect and designer responsible for several notable buildings in the South West of England, including the Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier and the Royal West of England Academy building in Bristol.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spackman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spackman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Wiltshire leads with 271 Spackmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.82x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 271 35.82x
Middlesex 132 1.54x
Berkshire 89 13.86x
Essex 52 3.08x
Gloucestershire 46 2.74x
Surrey 43 1.03x
Kent 35 1.20x
Oxfordshire 30 5.68x
Hampshire 29 1.65x
Cambridgeshire 24 4.43x
Glamorgan 18 1.21x
Somerset 18 1.31x
Staffordshire 15 0.52x
Brecknockshire 14 8.18x
Hertfordshire 12 2.04x
Derbyshire 9 0.67x
Cheshire 6 0.32x
Pembrokeshire 6 2.21x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.43x
Lancashire 4 0.04x
Monmouthshire 4 0.65x
Sussex 4 0.28x
Devon 3 0.17x
Worcestershire 3 0.27x
Yorkshire 3 0.04x
Bedfordshire 1 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swindon in Wiltshire leads with 50 Spackmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.19x.

Place Total Index
Swindon 50 85.19x
Bradford On Avon 28 115.61x
Cliffe Pypard 22 969.16x
Cottenham 21 291.67x
St Marylebone London 18 3.94x
Cheltenham 17 13.13x
Reading St Giles 17 26.98x
Wootton Bassett 16 243.16x
St Pancras London 15 2.18x
Little Sodbury 14 3589.74x
Calne 13 83.44x
Lambourn 13 204.40x
Llandaff 13 26.23x
Milton Lilborne 13 734.46x
Kensington London 12 2.52x
Islington London 11 1.33x
Mile End Old Town 11 8.15x
West Ham 11 2.95x
Corsham 10 90.58x
Deptford St Nicholas 10 43.18x
Paddington London 10 3.18x
Broughton Gifford 9 500.00x
Burbage 9 233.16x
Chelsea London 9 3.49x
Hannington 9 1097.56x
Llanelly 9 43.97x
Mountnessing 9 351.56x
Poplar London 9 5.57x
Frome 8 24.29x
Harpenden 8 88.99x
Neithrop 8 45.07x
Ogbourne St George 8 563.38x
Sandhurst 8 64.31x
Walton On Thames 8 41.80x
Winterbourne Monkton 8 1250.00x
Charlton Kings 7 60.29x
Grays Thurrock 7 44.59x
Lambeth 7 0.94x
Manningford Bohun 7 1014.49x
Reading St Lawrence 7 50.95x
Reading St Mary 7 13.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 4.07x
Steeple Aston 7 350.00x
Wednesbury 7 9.70x
Wroughton 7 106.87x
Church Coppenhall 6 71.09x
Croydon 6 2.59x
Haverfordwest St Mary 6 153.45x
Isleworth 6 15.78x
Liddiard Millicent 6 230.77x
Lyncombe Widcombe 6 16.64x
Stifford 6 714.29x
Sulham 6 1428.57x
Waltham St Lawrence 6 239.04x
Walthamstow 6 9.87x
Woodcott 6 2727.27x
Abingdon St Nicholas 5 279.33x
Andover 5 30.18x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.35x
Eastwood 5 48.50x
Llangattock 5 35.89x
Pleasley 5 147.93x
Tilehurst 5 38.55x
Witney 5 56.63x
Bermondsey 4 1.57x
Camberwell 4 0.73x
Chippenham 4 25.20x
Chiswick 4 8.56x
Cliffe 4 60.70x
Deptford St Paul 4 1.78x
Finchley 4 12.20x
Highworth 4 41.37x
Lee 4 9.44x
Little Cheverell 4 615.38x
North Newnton 4 363.64x
Rugeley 4 19.31x
Speldhurst 4 26.92x
Upper Penn 4 55.33x
Whitefriars Precinct 4 291.97x
Bromley 3 6.74x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Spackman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Spackman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 56
Henry 36
John 34
George 27
Thomas 24
Charles 21
James 18
Edward 15
Arthur 13
Albert 9
Herbert 8
Isaac 7
Alfred 6
Ernest 6
Frederick 6
Joseph 6
Robert 5
Stephen 5
Walter 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Edwin 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Frank 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Jacob 3
Abraham 2
Eli 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
H. 2
Jesse 2
Leonard 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Young 2
Aaron 1
Absolom 1
Andrew 1
Aquila 1
Basil 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Enoch 1
Harray 1

FAQ

Spackman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spackman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 885 people were recorded with the Spackman surname. That placed it at #4,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spackman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 912 in 2016. That gives Spackman a modern rank of #6,246.

What does the Spackman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a worker who applied spackle or plaster to walls and ceilings.

What does the Spackman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Spackman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.