NameCensus.

UK surname

Spark

An English surname derived from Old English "spearhawoc," meaning a type of small hawk or falcon.

In the 1881 census there were 1,316 people recorded with the Spark surname, ranking it #3,116 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,264, ranked #4,730, down from #3,116 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Gateshead and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spark is 1,534 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.0%.

1881 census count

1,316

Ranked #3,116

Modern count

1,264

2016, ranked #4,730

Peak year

1901

1,534 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spark had 1,316 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,116 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,264 in 2016, ranked #4,730.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,534 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Spark surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spark surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spark 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 1,076 #2,606
1861 historical 1,058 #2,655
1881 historical 1,316 #3,116
1891 historical 1,456 #3,012
1901 historical 1,534 #3,356
1911 historical 1,217 #3,882
1997 modern 1,277 #4,462
1998 modern 1,315 #4,519
1999 modern 1,329 #4,503
2000 modern 1,291 #4,606
2001 modern 1,264 #4,602
2002 modern 1,302 #4,561
2003 modern 1,265 #4,590
2004 modern 1,274 #4,571
2005 modern 1,258 #4,570
2006 modern 1,248 #4,616
2007 modern 1,255 #4,639
2008 modern 1,280 #4,575
2009 modern 1,308 #4,581
2010 modern 1,354 #4,531
2011 modern 1,327 #4,550
2012 modern 1,271 #4,667
2013 modern 1,286 #4,703
2014 modern 1,297 #4,686
2015 modern 1,278 #4,706
2016 modern 1,264 #4,730

Geography

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Where Sparks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Alston and Holme Cultram. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Gateshead, Allerdale and County Durham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Holme Cultram Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 Gateshead 024 Gateshead
3 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
4 Gateshead 009 Gateshead
5 County Durham 051 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spark

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spark

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spark, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Spark surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Spark household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Spark is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spark is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spark falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spark 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 Spark, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spark

The surname SPARK has its origins in England and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "spearc," which means a small particle or spark of fire. This would suggest that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with fire or as a blacksmith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SPARK can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, dated around 1273, where it appears as "Isparke." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname SPARK appeared in various records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was listed as "Spark." The Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327 also mentioned a "John Spark."

During the 15th century, the surname SPARK continued to be documented in various records, including the Paston Letters from Norfolk, which mentioned a "William Spark" in 1472.

One notable person with the surname SPARK from history was John Spark, a 16th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grimsby in 1558.

In the 17th century, the surname SPARK was found in various parish records across England. For example, in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, there is a record of the baptism of a "John Spark" in 1635.

Another notable figure with the surname SPARK was Tobias Spark, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1617 to 1676. He was the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Wilton, Wiltshire, and wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, the surname SPARK continued to be documented in various records across England. One notable person with this surname was Richard Spark, an English architect who was born in 1726 and designed several buildings in London.

During the 19th century, the surname SPARK was still present in various records across England and other parts of the British Isles. One notable individual with this surname was William Spark, a Scottish journalist and author who was born in 1823 and wrote several books on Scottish history and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spark families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spark 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. Durham leads with 267 Sparks recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.99x.

County Total Index
Durham 267 6.99x
Northumberland 125 6.54x
Cumberland 123 11.13x
Angus 95 7.99x
Yorkshire 89 0.70x
Aberdeenshire 84 7.07x
Middlesex 69 0.54x
Cheshire 54 1.91x
Surrey 50 0.80x
Lancashire 49 0.32x
Kincardineshire 41 26.23x
Devon 37 1.38x
Kent 36 0.82x
Suffolk 24 1.53x
Somerset 20 0.97x
Fife 14 1.84x
Berwickshire 12 7.72x
Lanarkshire 11 0.26x
Essex 10 0.39x
Stirlingshire 10 2.11x
Gloucestershire 8 0.32x
Orkney 8 5.66x
Selkirkshire 7 6.03x
Glamorgan 6 0.27x
Norfolk 6 0.30x
Wigtownshire 6 3.52x
Nairnshire 5 12.76x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.23x
Perthshire 5 0.87x
Worcestershire 5 0.30x
Cornwall 4 0.28x
Midlothian 4 0.23x
Roxburghshire 4 1.72x
Argyllshire 2 0.56x
East Lothian 2 1.18x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Hertfordshire 2 0.23x
Royal Navy 2 1.31x
Sussex 2 0.09x
Caithness 1 0.57x
Derbyshire 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.29x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.06x
Peeblesshire 1 1.66x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
Warwickshire 1 0.03x
West Lothian 1 0.52x
Wiltshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alston in Cumberland leads with 55 Sparks recorded in 1881 and an index of 270.00x.

Place Total Index
Alston 55 270.00x
Aberdeen Old Machar 38 15.31x
Gateshead 29 10.14x
Fetteresso 28 114.29x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 26 11.69x
Brixham 22 71.06x
Haswell 20 73.07x
Newcastle On Tyne St 19 19.19x
Elswick 18 11.81x
Haydon 18 172.25x
St Vigeans 18 28.04x
Holme St Cuthbert 17 518.29x
Keswick 17 120.31x
Camberwell 15 1.83x
Montrose 14 19.42x
Noctorum 14 2641.51x
Rattlesden 14 306.35x
Birkenhead 13 5.75x
Lambeth 13 1.16x
Winlaton 13 35.48x
Iveston 11 62.54x
Aberlemno 10 227.79x
Arbirlot 10 276.24x
Dearham 10 68.59x
Forfar 10 15.53x
Kyo 10 55.62x
Northowram 10 11.21x
Stockton On Tees 10 5.43x
Wolsingham 10 28.73x
Cornforth 9 80.00x
Everton 9 1.85x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 5.44x
Lumphanan 9 180.00x
Westgate 9 7.61x
Banchory Ternan 8 59.17x
Bishop Auckland 8 15.61x
Burton 8 1538.46x
Dundee 8 1.80x
Edmondsley 8 195.60x
Gillingham 8 8.86x
Inverarity 8 209.42x
Kirkdale 8 3.12x
Kirkwall St Ola 8 37.83x
Lambley 8 253.16x
Middlesbrough 8 4.83x
Sherburn 8 68.85x
St Marylebone London 8 1.17x
Wallsend 8 13.21x
Aspatria 7 65.85x
Bishopwearmouth 7 2.14x
Byker 7 7.41x
Crook Billy Row 7 14.31x
Hammersmith London 7 2.21x
Hutton Mulgrave 7 1842.11x
Merton 7 63.93x
Stranton 7 5.44x
Sunderland 7 10.38x
Throckley 7 133.08x
Twerton 7 32.85x
Washington 7 43.72x
Anstruther Easter 6 109.49x
Bainton 6 340.91x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.08x
Bromley 6 8.99x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.78x
Doncaster 6 6.46x
Minehead 6 76.92x
Moreton 6 222.22x
Norton 6 42.74x
Rainford 6 36.43x
St Pancras London 6 0.58x
Tranmere 6 5.76x
West Auckland 6 42.95x
West Ham 6 1.07x
Aspull 5 13.95x
Cassop 5 190.11x
Dawdon 5 10.64x
Horsham St Faith 5 151.52x
Islington London 5 0.40x
Tealing 5 150.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 73
William 58
Thomas 41
James 30
Joseph 29
Robert 29
George 28
Henry 21
Edward 9
Frederick 9
Charles 8
Frank 8
Alfred 7
Hugh 7
Jonathan 5
Alexander 4
Arthur 4
David 3
Ernest 3
Matthew 3
Michael 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
Walton 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Andrew 2
Cuthbert 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Hy. 2
Jackson 2
Mathew 2
Reuben 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Thompson 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
W. 2
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Jonathon 1
Wm.Tulip 1

FAQ

Spark surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spark surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,316 people were recorded with the Spark surname. That placed it at #3,116 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spark surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,264 in 2016. That gives Spark a modern rank of #4,730.

What does the Spark surname mean?

An English surname derived from Old English "spearhawoc," meaning a type of small hawk or falcon.

What does the Spark map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Spark 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.