NameCensus.

UK surname

Spearman

An occupational surname referring to a soldier armed with a spear or a maker of spears.

In the 1881 census there were 466 people recorded with the Spearman surname, ranking it #7,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 775, ranked #7,102, up from #7,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Braintree, London parishes and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Rochford and Luncarty and Dunkeld.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spearman is 856 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.3%.

1881 census count

466

Ranked #7,133

Modern count

775

2016, ranked #7,102

Peak year

2010

856 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spearman had 466 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 775 in 2016, ranked #7,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 661 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spearman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spearman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spearman 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 300 #7,650
1861 historical 335 #7,610
1881 historical 466 #7,133
1891 historical 575 #6,620
1901 historical 590 #7,155
1911 historical 661 #6,353
1997 modern 741 #6,944
1998 modern 802 #6,735
1999 modern 802 #6,775
2000 modern 798 #6,787
2001 modern 779 #6,782
2002 modern 800 #6,773
2003 modern 812 #6,575
2004 modern 815 #6,561
2005 modern 818 #6,492
2006 modern 826 #6,458
2007 modern 818 #6,572
2008 modern 813 #6,653
2009 modern 844 #6,598
2010 modern 856 #6,652
2011 modern 822 #6,791
2012 modern 785 #6,957
2013 modern 797 #6,985
2014 modern 791 #7,068
2015 modern 781 #7,071
2016 modern 775 #7,102

Geography

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Where Spearmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Braintree, London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Bideford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Rochford, Luncarty and Dunkeld, Epping Forest and Sevenoaks. 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 Braintree Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 Bideford Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 010 North Devon
2 Rochford 007 Rochford
3 Luncarty and Dunkeld Perth and Kinross
4 Epping Forest 004 Epping Forest
5 Sevenoaks 014 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spearman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spearman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spearman, 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 Spearman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spearman 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Spearman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spearman is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spearman falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spearman

The surname Spearman has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "spere," meaning a spear or lance, and "man," referring to a person who made or carried spears.

This name likely originated among those who worked as spearmen or soldiers skilled in using spears in medieval England. It may have also been given to individuals involved in the production or trade of spears during that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spearman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Spereman is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The Spearman surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, indicating its presence in various regions of England during the medieval period.

A notable historical figure bearing this name was John Spearman (c. 1480 - c. 1545), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1529.

In the 17th century, George Spearman (1633 - 1682) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Exchequer.

Another individual of note was Sir Alexander Spearman (1758 - 1840), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Lieutenant-General.

The Spearman surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Spearman's Green in East Sussex and Spearman's Lane in Cambridgeshire, further reinforcing its historical roots in the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Scotland dates back to 1548, when Robert Spearman was mentioned in the records of Edinburgh.

Throughout history, the Spearman surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, lawyers, and tradesmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this occupational name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spearman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spearman 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. Essex leads with 111 Spearmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.16x.

County Total Index
Essex 111 12.16x
Suffolk 58 10.30x
Devon 52 5.40x
Northumberland 51 7.41x
Middlesex 42 0.91x
Surrey 32 1.42x
Kent 21 1.33x
Durham 20 1.45x
Lancashire 12 0.22x
Staffordshire 12 0.77x
Hertfordshire 9 2.82x
Somerset 9 1.21x
Warwickshire 7 0.60x
Yorkshire 7 0.15x
Channel Islands 6 4.38x
Lincolnshire 5 0.68x
Cornwall 3 0.57x
Berkshire 2 0.58x
Gloucestershire 2 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.36x
Shropshire 2 0.50x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.23x
Angus 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.53x
Leicestershire 1 0.20x
Oxfordshire 1 0.35x
Royal Navy 1 1.81x
Sussex 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Braintree in Essex leads with 26 Spearmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 317.07x.

Place Total Index
Braintree 26 317.07x
Moreton 16 2222.22x
Bideford 14 135.79x
Bobbingworth 14 2916.67x
Stoke By Clare 13 1884.06x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 12 29.20x
Croydon 11 8.80x
High Ongar 11 654.76x
Exeter St Sidwell 10 45.37x
Great Cornard 10 787.40x
Stansfield 10 1515.15x
Wiston 9 3000.00x
Cheshunt 8 71.81x
Cooling 8 2105.26x
Fremington 8 410.26x
Lewisham 8 9.51x
Paddington London 8 4.71x
Shellow Bowells 8 4705.88x
Urpeth 8 298.51x
Brightside Bierlow 7 7.79x
Byker 7 20.58x
Chelsea London 7 5.02x
Netherton N S Side 7 2800.00x
Rochford 7 263.16x
West Derby 7 4.36x
Writtle 7 187.67x
Battersea 6 3.53x
Chilton 6 1333.33x
St Saviour 6 79.26x
Weston 6 104.90x
Alverdiscott 5 1162.79x
Buckland Monachorum 5 242.72x
Moulton 5 140.45x
Stafford St Mary 5 22.63x
Aston 4 1.25x
Chelmsford 4 25.54x
Chopwell 4 156.25x
Eachwick 4 4444.44x
Everton 4 2.29x
Heugh 4 800.00x
Heworth 4 14.75x
Kensington London 4 1.56x
St Pancras London 4 1.07x
Westgate 4 9.39x
Cannock 3 11.02x
Castle Church 3 31.98x
Cowpen 3 18.94x
East Bedfont 3 131.00x
Hackney London 3 1.16x
Jesmond 3 30.99x
Littlebourne 3 250.00x
South Weald 3 38.36x
St Edmond King London 3 1764.71x
West Ham 3 1.49x
Bedminster 2 2.86x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.00x
Birmingham 2 0.51x
Clare 2 74.07x
Frensham 2 60.42x
Heaton 2 87.72x
Holy Trinity 2 99.01x
Ipswich St Nicholas 2 64.52x
Lambeth 2 0.50x
Lamerton 2 109.29x
Lexden 2 54.64x
Ovington 2 238.10x
Poplar London 2 2.29x
Rotherhithe 2 3.50x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.15x
St Giles 2 23.28x
Stifford 2 444.44x
Stratton 2 70.42x
Tenby St Mary In 2 26.74x
Westleigh 2 253.16x
Whickham 2 15.80x
Whitechapel London 2 4.39x
Great Tosson Ryehill 1 526.32x
Milton Damerel 1 133.33x
Oare 1 125.00x
West Wickham 1 65.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 17
Jane 11
Alice 9
Eliza 9
Ellen 9
Margaret 7
Ann 6
Caroline 6
Emily 5
Emma 5
Ada 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Rose 4
Susan 4
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Ethel 3
Florence 3
Louisa 3
Clara 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
M.A. 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
May 2
Priscilla 2
Ruth 2
Amy 1
Annia 1
Catherin 1
Charity 1
Charllot 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Frederica 1
Georgina 1
Julia 1
Keate 1
Laurena 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Susie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 24
George 23
Thomas 17
Charles 14
James 14
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Richard 9
Arthur 8
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Frederick 6
Robert 6
Albert 5
Edmund 5
Francis 3
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Golden 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Matthew 2
Alex.T.C. 1
Barugh 1
Charle 1
Egbert 1
Elias 1
Eyra 1
Ezra 1
Geo. 1
Gideon 1
Golder 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Horrace 1
Jonah 1
Lesley 1
Louis 1
Mathew 1
Mulford 1
Newton 1
Nickham 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Rudolph 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Spearman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spearman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 466 people were recorded with the Spearman surname. That placed it at #7,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spearman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 775 in 2016. That gives Spearman a modern rank of #7,102.

What does the Spearman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a soldier armed with a spear or a maker of spears.

What does the Spearman map show?

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