NameCensus.

UK surname

Spaven

A variant spelling of the English surname 'Spaven,' possibly derived from an Old English location name.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Spaven surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 410, ranked #11,674, up from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Runnymede and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spaven is 423 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 156.3%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

410

2016, ranked #11,674

Peak year

2014

423 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spaven had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 410 in 2016, ranked #11,674.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 336 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Spaven surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spaven surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spaven 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 232 #13,429
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 336 #10,563
1997 modern 367 #11,751
1998 modern 371 #12,027
1999 modern 374 #12,026
2000 modern 395 #11,503
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 393 #11,587
2003 modern 380 #11,689
2004 modern 386 #11,579
2005 modern 368 #11,926
2006 modern 379 #11,688
2007 modern 395 #11,481
2008 modern 392 #11,661
2009 modern 405 #11,616
2010 modern 415 #11,654
2011 modern 410 #11,644
2012 modern 405 #11,627
2013 modern 416 #11,575
2014 modern 423 #11,488
2015 modern 412 #11,642
2016 modern 410 #11,674

Geography

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Where Spavens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sherburn and Foston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Runnymede, Havant and York. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sherburn Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Foston Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 004 Ryedale
2 Runnymede 009 Runnymede
3 Havant 005 Havant
4 York 004 York
5 Ryedale 008 Ryedale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spaven

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spaven

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spaven, 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 Spaven surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Spaven 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, Spaven 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

Spaven is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spaven falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spaven

The surname Spaven originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English word "spæren," which means "to fasten or bar." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a maker or seller of bars or fasteners for doors, gates, or other structures.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Spaven can be found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1275, where a certain Adam Spaven is mentioned as a resident of the village of Wakefield. The name also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is recorded as "Spaueyn."

In the 16th century, the Spaven family seemed to have established a presence in the town of Burnley, Lancashire. The Burnley Parish Registers from 1593 contain entries for several Spaven individuals, including John Spaven, who was born in 1598.

A notable figure in the history of the Spaven surname was Richard Spaven, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Clapham, Yorkshire, in the late 17th century. He was born in 1652 and died in 1719. His will, dated 1718, mentions his extensive land holdings and bequests to his family members.

Another prominent Spaven was William Spaven, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of York in the early 18th century. He was born in 1685 and died in 1758. Records show that he was involved in the wool trade and had business dealings with merchants in other parts of England and Europe.

In the 19th century, the Spaven family had members who migrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One such individual was Thomas Spaven, who was born in Yorkshire in 1812 and later settled in Glasgow, Scotland, where he worked as a blacksmith. He died in 1879.

Another notable Spaven was Elizabeth Spaven, a teacher and author who was born in Lancashire in 1845. She wrote several books on education and pedagogy, including "The Principles of Teaching" (1884) and "Methods in Teaching" (1892). She died in 1912.

While the surname Spaven is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with various professions and notable individuals over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spaven families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spaven 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. Yorkshire leads with 117 Spavens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.61x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 117 7.61x
Midlothian 17 8.18x
Northumberland 6 2.60x
Lancashire 5 0.27x
Derbyshire 4 1.65x
Durham 4 0.87x
Hampshire 3 0.94x
Middlesex 1 0.06x
Surrey 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarborough in Yorkshire leads with 17 Spavens recorded in 1881 and an index of 121.69x.

Place Total Index
Scarborough 17 121.69x
Thornton Le Clay 17 11333.33x
Sherburn 15 1190.48x
Boynton 8 10000.00x
Holy Trinity 8 21.64x
South Leith 8 34.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 8.37x
Snainton 7 1707.32x
Berwick Upon Tweed 6 122.70x
Leeds 6 6.91x
New Malton 6 326.09x
Crambe 4 5000.00x
Duggleby 4 3076.92x
Manchester 4 4.83x
Staveley 4 92.81x
Swinton Broughton In 4 1666.67x
Kilham 3 461.54x
Wherwell 3 1034.48x
Ganton 2 1111.11x
Great Aycliffe 2 444.44x
Kirby Misperton 2 1428.57x
Kirkleatham 2 96.15x
North Leith 2 20.79x
Old Malton 2 206.19x
Accrington 1 5.98x
Bexhill 1 76.92x
Brightside Bierlow 1 3.32x
Croydon 1 2.38x
Darlington 1 5.61x
Dunnington In York 1 256.41x
Fangfoss 1 1111.11x
Gembling 1 1666.67x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 10.11x
Manningham 1 5.28x
Scampston 1 769.23x
Skipwith 1 666.67x
St Marylebone London 1 1.21x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.50x
Thirkleby In Malton 1 5000.00x
Wilberfoss 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Sarah 7
Jane 5
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Betsy 2
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Maria 2
Betsey 1
Claris 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Isa 1
M. 1
Marainne 1
Martha 1
Rachel 1
Roberta 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 7
Richard 4
James 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Tom 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Beilby 1
Charles 1
Chas.Frnk. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Josh 1
Mark 1
Richd. 1
Simpson 1
T. 1
Thos. 1
Tranmer 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Spaven surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spaven surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Spaven surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spaven surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 410 in 2016. That gives Spaven a modern rank of #11,674.

What does the Spaven surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname 'Spaven,' possibly derived from an Old English location name.

What does the Spaven map show?

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