NameCensus.

UK surname

Speer

A German occupational surname referring to a maker of spears or lances.

In the 1881 census there were 215 people recorded with the Speer surname, ranking it #12,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 353, ranked #13,081, down from #12,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Purbeck, Bexley and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speer is 379 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.2%.

1881 census count

215

Ranked #12,249

Modern count

353

2016, ranked #13,081

Peak year

1998

379 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speer had 215 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016, ranked #13,081.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 371 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Speer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Speer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speer 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 94 #17,837
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 215 #12,249
1891 historical 336 #10,158
1901 historical 331 #10,884
1911 historical 371 #9,830
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 379 #11,851
1999 modern 379 #11,922
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 364 #12,268
2003 modern 347 #12,479
2004 modern 352 #12,399
2005 modern 339 #12,668
2006 modern 352 #12,396
2007 modern 339 #12,896
2008 modern 336 #13,095
2009 modern 337 #13,318
2010 modern 353 #13,156
2011 modern 342 #13,314
2012 modern 339 #13,271
2013 modern 350 #13,186
2014 modern 352 #13,206
2015 modern 352 #13,109
2016 modern 353 #13,081

Geography

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Where Speers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, St Pancras, St James Clerkenwell and Battersea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Purbeck, Bexley, Cornwall, East Riding of Yorkshire and Horsham. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
5 Battersea London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
2 Bexley 022 Bexley
3 Cornwall 014 Cornwall
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Horsham 013 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speer

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Speer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Speer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Speer 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

Speer is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Speer 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 Speer 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 Speer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Speer

The surname Speer has its origins traced back to Germany, with records dating as far back as the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "sper," which means "spear" or "lance," suggesting a connection to a warrior or soldier.

During the medieval period, the name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was often associated with individuals involved in military or knightly pursuits. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from 1284, which mentions a certain "Heinrich Speer" residing in the town of Nuremberg.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Speer include Johann Joachim Speer, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1595, who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy during the 17th century. Another prominent individual was Johann Speer, a German painter and engraver active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, renowned for his intricate woodcut prints.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Speer. However, it is worth noting that the name's German origin suggests it was likely introduced to England at a later period, potentially through migration or military service.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable figures bearing the surname Speer was Albert Speer, a German architect and Minister of Armaments and War Production for Nazi Germany during World War II. Born in 1905 and executed in 1981, Speer's involvement in the Nazi regime and his subsequent trial at Nuremberg made him a controversial figure in history.

Another individual of historical significance was Daniel Speer, a German composer and organist active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His works, including a collection of organ pieces titled "Musicalische Rüstkammer," were highly regarded during his time and contributed to the development of German baroque music.

The name Speer has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Speergraben and Speerdorf, which may have influenced or derived from the surname itself. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Spehr and Speer, have been documented over the centuries, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speer 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. Middlesex leads with 107 Speers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 107 5.08x
Surrey 45 4.38x
Kent 12 1.67x
Yorkshire 8 0.38x
Cheshire 7 1.51x
Lancashire 7 0.28x
Worcestershire 6 2.18x
Sussex 5 1.41x
Staffordshire 4 0.56x
Essex 3 0.72x
Berkshire 2 1.26x
Cornwall 2 0.84x
Devon 2 0.46x
Channel Islands 1 1.60x
Dorset 1 0.72x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Hampshire 1 0.23x
Hertfordshire 1 0.69x
Monmouthshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 16 Speers recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.64x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 16 20.64x
Clerkenwell London 16 32.17x
Camberwell 15 11.15x
Islington London 13 6.37x
Shoreditch London 11 12.04x
St Marylebone London 10 8.89x
Bermondsey 9 14.35x
Bethnal Green London 9 9.83x
St George Hanover 9 32.73x
Greenwich 8 23.85x
Leeds 8 6.79x
Farndon 7 1750.00x
Chelsea London 6 9.45x
Great Malvern 6 104.53x
Kensington London 6 5.12x
Tottenham 6 17.88x
St Luke London 5 14.80x
Bow London 4 14.91x
Deptford St Paul 4 7.21x
Harborne 4 17.55x
Newington 4 5.14x
St Peter Le Poer 4 3636.36x
Hove 3 19.24x
Liverpool 3 1.98x
Toxteth Park 3 3.54x
Walthamstow 3 20.04x
Whitechapel London 3 14.44x
Brighton 2 2.79x
Cheriton Bishop 2 465.12x
Illogan 2 31.65x
Christchurch 1 21.23x
Godalming 1 15.48x
Hackney London 1 0.85x
Kempsford 1 166.67x
Limehouse London 1 4.32x
Maiden Newton 1 172.41x
Ryde 1 10.78x
Slyne With Hest 1 454.55x
St Helier 1 4.92x
St Martin In Fields 1 7.93x
St Pancras London 1 0.59x
Sunninghill 1 45.66x
Watford 1 8.88x
Westminster St James 1 4.62x
Winkfield 1 38.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 8
Alice 7
Emily 7
Sarah 6
Susan 6
Jane 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Florence 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Norah 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Carrie 1
Carry 1
Christine 1
Dorothy 1
Elenor 1
Eliphima 1
Eliz. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Julia 1
Katharine 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Matilda 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Alfred 6
Henry 6
James 5
John 5
Joseph 5
Charles 4
George 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Robert 3
Alexander 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
J. 2
Jno. 2
Phillip 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Adolphus 1
Af. 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Crozier 1
Ewart 1
Frederic 1
Fredk 1
Fredk. 1
Hannibal 1
Hugh 1
Hy.J. 1
Jnr. 1
Oliver 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Speer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 215 people were recorded with the Speer surname. That placed it at #12,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016. That gives Speer a modern rank of #13,081.

What does the Speer surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a maker of spears or lances.

What does the Speer map show?

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