NameCensus.

UK surname

Speir

A Scottish surname derived from the Old English word "spere" meaning spear.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Speir surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beith, Glasgow and Dalry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Richmondshire and Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speir is 162 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.7%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1891

162 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speir had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Speir surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Speir surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speir 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 99 #28,177
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Speirs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beith, Glasgow, Dalry, Paisley Abbey and Ardrossan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Richmondshire, Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm, Skelmorlie and Rural and IZ18. 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 Beith Ayr
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Dalry Ayr
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Ardrossan Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
2 Richmondshire 001 Richmondshire
3 Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm East Renfrewshire
4 Skelmorlie and Rural North Ayrshire
5 IZ18 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speir

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speir

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

European Enclaves

Within London, Speir is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Speir 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

Speir falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Speir is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Speir, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Speir

The surname SPEIR is of Scottish origin, deriving from the ancient Barony of Spier in the county of Lanarkshire. It traces its roots back to the 12th century, when the lands were granted to a Norman knight named Walter de Spere by King David I of Scotland, around 1150 AD.

The name is thought to originate from the Old French word "espier," meaning "to spy" or "to watch," reflecting the strategic location of the barony on a hilltop, suitable for observation. Early records show variations in spelling, including Speir, Spier, Spyre, and Sper.

One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among them was John de Spere, likely the laird of the Barony of Spier at the time.

In the 14th century, records mention Sir John Speir, who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. His son, William Speir, was granted additional lands in Renfrewshire as a reward for his family's loyalty to the Scottish crown.

During the 16th century, the Speirs of Elderslie, a prominent branch of the family, played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Scotland. John Speir of Elderslie (1510-1572) was a staunch supporter of John Knox and the Protestant cause.

In the 17th century, the name gained recognition through the achievements of Sir John Speir (1615-1680), a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the development of logarithms and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1663.

Another notable figure was Captain Archibald Speir (1720-1785), a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the British Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was praised for his bravery in several battles against the French and Spanish fleets.

The 19th century saw the rise of Thomas Speir (1800-1876), a Scottish-American industrialist who founded the Speir Stove and Foundry Company in Philadelphia. His company played a crucial role in the development of cast-iron stoves and furnaces during the Industrial Revolution.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname SPEIR throughout history, reflecting its Scottish heritage and the diverse contributions of those who bore this name across various fields and eras.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speir families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speir 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. Ayrshire leads with 81 Speirs recorded in 1881 and an index of 82.81x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 81 82.81x
Renfrewshire 16 15.80x
Dunbartonshire 8 22.78x
Lanarkshire 7 1.66x
Middlesex 7 0.54x
Glamorgan 6 2.64x
Gloucestershire 6 2.34x
Angus 1 0.83x
Durham 1 0.26x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalry in Ayrshire leads with 32 Speirs recorded in 1881 and an index of 695.65x.

Place Total Index
Dalry 32 695.65x
Lochwinnoch 11 728.48x
Beith 10 342.47x
Ayr 8 173.16x
Coylton 8 575.54x
New Kilpatrick 8 239.52x
Stevenston 8 313.73x
Cardiff St John 6 80.75x
Yate 6 1071.43x
Ardrossan 5 147.49x
Glasgow 5 6.66x
Kilwinning 5 158.23x
St Luke London 5 23.86x
Tarbolton 3 186.34x
West Greenock 3 16.50x
Abbey 2 12.95x
St Pancras London 2 1.90x
Barony 1 0.93x
Bishopwearmouth 1 3.00x
Dundee 1 2.21x
Govan 1 0.96x
Kilbirnie 1 42.55x
Kilmarnock 1 8.59x
Wortley In Bramley 1 9.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Emily 1
Grandaline 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Marjorie 1
Sarah 1
T. 1
V. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Charles 1
Gray 1
Hugh 1
J. 1
James 1
Kennett 1
Robert 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Speir households.

FAQ

Speir surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speir surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Speir surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speir surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Speir a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Speir surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Old English word "spere" meaning spear.

What does the Speir map show?

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