NameCensus.

UK surname

Speers

An occupational surname referring to a spearmaker or one who fashions spears.

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Speers surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 509, ranked #9,860, up from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Gateshead and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, West Somerset and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speers is 532 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 453.3%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

509

2016, ranked #9,860

Peak year

2014

532 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speers had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 509 in 2016, ranked #9,860.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Speers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Speers surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speers 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 446 #10,142
1998 modern 485 #9,825
1999 modern 498 #9,687
2000 modern 497 #9,675
2001 modern 487 #9,656
2002 modern 500 #9,625
2003 modern 501 #9,471
2004 modern 489 #9,652
2005 modern 486 #9,634
2006 modern 480 #9,772
2007 modern 493 #9,662
2008 modern 500 #9,630
2009 modern 527 #9,477
2010 modern 527 #9,667
2011 modern 524 #9,625
2012 modern 525 #9,526
2013 modern 529 #9,619
2014 modern 532 #9,648
2015 modern 520 #9,741
2016 modern 509 #9,860

Geography

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Where Speers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Gateshead, Eccles, Manchester and Enfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, West Somerset, Sefton and Cardiff. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Enfield Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 012 East Devon
2 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
3 Sefton 034 Sefton
4 Sefton 023 Sefton
5 Cardiff 007 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Speers, 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 Speers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Speers 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Speers is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Speers 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

Speers falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Speers

The surname SPEERS is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "spere," meaning a spear or lance. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of spears, or perhaps for a soldier skilled in the use of the spear.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname SPEERS date back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Spere, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as le Spere, le Sper, and le Speer, reflecting the phonetic variations of the time. One notable record is that of Willelmus le Sper, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

The SPEERS surname can also be found in Scottish records, likely introduced by English settlers or through intermarriage. One early Scottish bearer of the name was John Speir, who was mentioned in the Records of the Burgh of Prestwick in 1499.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the SPEERS surname. One example is Robert Speir (c. 1525-1585), a Scottish clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Brechin.

Another prominent figure was John Speers (1612-1672), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1668 to 1672.

In the 18th century, William Speers (1741-1811) was a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow.

During the 19th century, the SPEERS surname was well-established in various parts of the United Kingdom and North America. One notable individual was Jeremiah Speers (1825-1891), an American lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Indiana.

Another significant figure was John Speers (1851-1935), a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Speers Manufacturing Company and was instrumental in the development of the city of Chicopee, Massachusetts.

As the surname SPEERS spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, including Speer, Spere, Spier, and Speir, reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speers 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. Lancashire leads with 31 Speers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 31 2.91x
Durham 16 5.99x
Middlesex 10 1.11x
Kent 7 2.29x
Northumberland 7 5.24x
Surrey 6 1.37x
Warwickshire 3 1.33x
Cheshire 2 1.01x
Herefordshire 2 5.43x
Midlothian 2 1.66x
Sussex 2 1.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.70x
Suffolk 1 0.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gorton in Lancashire leads with 9 Speers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.91x.

Place Total Index
Gorton 9 89.91x
Enfield 8 135.82x
Westoe 8 52.84x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 74.81x
Lee 6 134.83x
Barrow In Furness 5 34.53x
Hindley 5 110.13x
Lambeth 5 6.39x
Westgate 4 48.37x
Whickham 4 162.60x
Aston 3 4.81x
Elswick 3 28.14x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 25.95x
Walton On Hill 3 51.99x
Bromyard 2 416.67x
Hollington 2 370.37x
Liverpool 2 3.09x
St Marylebone London 2 4.17x
Tranmere 2 27.47x
Barton St Mary 1 138.89x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 11.82x
Camberwell 1 1.74x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 101.01x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.07x
Felixstow 1 370.37x
Leeds 1 1.99x
Sunderland 1 21.19x
Woolwich 1 8.84x
York St Mary 1 27.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 6
Sarah 4
Emily 3
Lydia 3
Mary 3
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Ansley 1
Charlet 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Robert 5
Thomas 5
James 4
Charles 3
George 3
Richard 2
Alec 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
Halsall 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Speers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Speers surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 509 in 2016. That gives Speers a modern rank of #9,860.

What does the Speers surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a spearmaker or one who fashions spears.

What does the Speers map show?

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