NameCensus.

UK surname

Spellman

An occupational surname for a magician, sorcerer, or one who casts spells.

In the 1881 census there were 355 people recorded with the Spellman surname, ranking it #8,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 632, ranked #8,362, up from #8,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Darlaston and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, Blaenau Gwent and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spellman is 653 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.0%.

1881 census count

355

Ranked #8,679

Modern count

632

2016, ranked #8,362

Peak year

2010

653 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spellman had 355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 632 in 2016, ranked #8,362.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 382 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Spellman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spellman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spellman 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 355 #8,679
1891 historical 323 #10,480
1901 historical 360 #10,212
1911 historical 382 #9,615
1997 modern 607 #8,081
1998 modern 626 #8,144
1999 modern 632 #8,139
2000 modern 622 #8,216
2001 modern 611 #8,182
2002 modern 641 #8,044
2003 modern 623 #8,089
2004 modern 616 #8,192
2005 modern 609 #8,188
2006 modern 605 #8,236
2007 modern 605 #8,297
2008 modern 607 #8,330
2009 modern 618 #8,400
2010 modern 653 #8,212
2011 modern 650 #8,155
2012 modern 616 #8,423
2013 modern 622 #8,501
2014 modern 636 #8,402
2015 modern 640 #8,290
2016 modern 632 #8,362

Geography

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Where Spellmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Darlaston, Gateshead, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, Blaenau Gwent, Leeds, Walsall and Liverpool. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Darlaston Staffordshire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 007 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
3 Leeds 057 Leeds
4 Walsall 021 Walsall
5 Liverpool 032 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spellman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spellman

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

Spellman 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

Spellman 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 Spellman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Spellman

The surname Spellman has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "spell" and "mann," which together translate to "story teller" or "speaker." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who were skilled orators or storytellers within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a "Richard Spelleman." The name also appears in various medieval records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a "John Spelman" is listed.

The surname Spellman is closely related to the variants Spelman and Spilman, which were used interchangeably in different regions of England during the Middle Ages. These variations likely arose due to local dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.

In the 16th century, the name Spellman can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable individual from this period was Henry Spelman (1564-1641), an English antiquarian and historian who wrote extensively on the history of English law and governance.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spellman surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of England. John Spelman (1594-1668) was an English landowner and Member of Parliament, while Sir Henry Spelman (1595-1680) was an English diplomat and politician who served as a member of the Council of State during the English Commonwealth.

As the British Empire expanded, the Spellman name also spread to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, Francis Spellman (1789-1880) was an Irish-born physician who emigrated to the United States and became a respected practitioner in New York City.

Another prominent figure with the Spellman surname was Francis Joseph Spellman (1889-1967), an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of New York from 1939 to 1967 and played a significant role in shaping the Catholic Church's response to various social and political issues of the time.

While these are just a few examples, the Spellman surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spellman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spellman 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 119 Spellmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 119 2.93x
Yorkshire 58 1.71x
Middlesex 54 1.58x
Cheshire 18 2.38x
Northumberland 13 2.55x
Staffordshire 13 1.12x
Essex 9 1.33x
Hampshire 9 1.28x
Derbyshire 8 1.49x
Durham 8 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.73x
Devon 5 0.70x
Lanarkshire 5 0.45x
Midlothian 5 1.09x
Surrey 5 0.30x
Sussex 4 0.69x
Ayrshire 2 0.78x
Roxburghshire 2 3.22x
Angus 1 0.32x
Berkshire 1 0.39x
Kent 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.34x
Suffolk 1 0.24x
Warwickshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherham in Yorkshire leads with 29 Spellmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 151.59x.

Place Total Index
Rotherham 29 151.59x
Little Bolton 15 28.71x
West Derby 14 11.78x
Manchester 13 7.12x
Bethnal Green London 12 8.07x
Spotland 12 26.57x
Hulme 10 11.79x
Mile End Old Town 10 18.50x
Barking 9 45.50x
Darlaston 9 56.36x
Liverpool 9 3.65x
Eckington 8 61.44x
Manningham 8 19.14x
Portsea 8 5.82x
Tynemouth 8 29.33x
Dukinfield 7 20.05x
Nottingham St Mary 7 5.86x
Oswaldtwistle 7 48.78x
Salford 7 5.86x
St George In East 7 30.06x
Whitechapel London 7 20.74x
Wigan 7 12.33x
Bromley London 6 7.97x
Everton 6 4.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 13.60x
Sheffield 6 5.55x
Birkenhead 5 8.30x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 16.43x
Normanby In 5 55.13x
Bradford 4 4.87x
St Anne Soho London 4 20.46x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 3.26x
Wandsworth 4 12.14x
Burnley 3 8.77x
Chester St Mary On Hill 3 46.30x
Edinburgh Old 3 107.91x
Middlesbrough 3 6.79x
Stoke Damerel 3 6.01x
Barnton 2 111.11x
Blackburn 2 1.85x
Blantyre 2 17.35x
Brighton 2 1.72x
Cambuslang 2 17.92x
Cheetham 2 6.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.10x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 9.80x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 18.43x
Hawick 2 14.41x
Hollington 2 97.56x
Holy Trinity 2 2.45x
Kensington London 2 1.05x
Lidford 2 62.50x
Maybole 2 25.64x
Newbottle 2 35.97x
St Marylebone London 2 1.09x
Warrington 2 4.15x
Aldershot 1 4.25x
Burham 1 62.11x
Clapham 1 2.34x
Clun 1 47.62x
Dundee 1 0.84x
Enfield 1 4.45x
Glasgow 1 0.51x
Gringley On Hill 1 102.04x
Haslingden 1 5.95x
Linthorpe 1 4.94x
Lowton 1 36.23x
Newton 1 3.19x
North Meols 1 2.51x
Nuneaton 1 10.00x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.07x
Shoreditch London 1 0.67x
St Clement Danes 1 18.05x
Westminster St John 1 2.40x
Weston In Runcorn 1 51.02x
Widnes 1 3.41x
Withersfield 1 149.25x
Wokingham 1 17.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 40
Bridget 12
Elizabeth 10
Ann 9
Margaret 9
Sarah 8
Ellen 6
Susan 6
Catherine 5
Maria 4
Annie 3
Clara 3
Jane 3
Louisa 3
Winifred 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Annorad 2
Betsy 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Honoria 2
Catharine 1
Cathe. 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Henriett 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Lizzie 1
Maggie 1
Margeret 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Minerah 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Phoebe 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
James 20
Thomas 16
William 12
Patrick 10
Joseph 9
Michael 8
George 6
Andrew 4
Edward 4
Martin 4
Jno. 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Abraham 2
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Henry 2
Jos. 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
... 1
Arthur 1
Barnett 1
Benjamin 1
Cathur 1
Christopher 1
Derminck 1
Elijah 1
Elson 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
G. 1
H. 1
Hyman 1
Isaac 1
Jane 1
Jeremiah 1
Lawrence 1
Pat 1
Patk. 1
Patric 1
Solomon 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Spellman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spellman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 355 people were recorded with the Spellman surname. That placed it at #8,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spellman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 632 in 2016. That gives Spellman a modern rank of #8,362.

What does the Spellman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a magician, sorcerer, or one who casts spells.

What does the Spellman map show?

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