NameCensus.

UK surname

Spence

A surname of Scottish and English origin referring to a steward, butler, or dispenser of provisions.

In the 1881 census there were 9,887 people recorded with the Spence surname, ranking it #435 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,388, ranked #437, down from #435 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Mainland, North and East Isles and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spence is 14,643 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.5%.

1881 census count

9,887

Ranked #435

Modern count

14,388

2016, ranked #437

Peak year

2010

14,643 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spence had 9,887 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #435 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,388 in 2016, ranked #437.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,998 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Spence surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spence surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spence 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 7,006 #398
1861 historical 6,923 #405
1881 historical 9,887 #435
1891 historical 10,732 #410
1901 historical 11,998 #435
1911 historical 7,773 #669
1997 modern 13,297 #457
1998 modern 13,823 #456
1999 modern 13,921 #455
2000 modern 13,946 #454
2001 modern 13,613 #454
2002 modern 13,938 #453
2003 modern 13,582 #454
2004 modern 13,620 #452
2005 modern 13,546 #447
2006 modern 13,579 #448
2007 modern 13,744 #444
2008 modern 13,796 #444
2009 modern 14,215 #444
2010 modern 14,643 #441
2011 modern 14,366 #444
2012 modern 14,112 #442
2013 modern 14,344 #444
2014 modern 14,531 #441
2015 modern 14,440 #438
2016 modern 14,388 #437

Geography

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Where Spences are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Mainland, North and East Isles, Hambleton, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness and County Durham. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Mainland Orkney Islands
2 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
3 Hambleton 008 Hambleton
4 Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness Orkney Islands
5 County Durham 064 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spence

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spence

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

Spence 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

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

Meaning and origin of Spence

The surname Spence is of English origin, deriving from the Middle English word "spense" or the Old French word "despense," both of which mean "a place where provisions are stored" or "a pantry." It is believed that the name initially referred to someone who worked in a household pantry or as a steward responsible for managing provisions.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Spence can be traced back to the 13th century in various English records. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which includes the name William le Spenser. The Hundred Rolls were a series of inquests conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I, documenting landholders and their holdings.

In the 14th century, the surname Spence appeared in various spellings, including Spencer, Spenser, and Spenser. One of the most famous individuals bearing this name was Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 1400), the renowned English poet and author of "The Canterbury Tales." He was also known as Geoffrey Spenser or Spenser, highlighting the interchangeable use of the name during that period.

Another notable figure from the 14th century was Henry Spenser (c. 1368 – 1419), an English bishop who served as Bishop of Norwich from 1370 to 1406. He played a significant role in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and was known for his military leadership during the uprising.

In the 16th century, the poet Edmund Spenser (c. 1552 – 1599) rose to prominence. He is best known for his epic poem "The Faerie Queene," which is considered one of the greatest works of English literature. Spenser's poetic works heavily influenced English literature and language.

Another notable figure from this period was John Spence (c. 1500 – 1576), an English scholar and mathematician. He served as a tutor to the children of King Henry VIII and is credited with introducing the use of the plus and minus signs in mathematical equations.

The surname Spence has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Spencers Farm in Kent and Spencer's Wood in Berkshire. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the surname Spence who owned or lived in these locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spence families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spence 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,034 Spences recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,034 2.12x
Durham 862 3.00x
Lanarkshire 778 2.49x
Orkney 548 51.55x
Lancashire 535 0.47x
Midlothian 513 3.96x
Northumberland 503 3.50x
Fife 476 8.32x
Middlesex 323 0.33x
Aberdeenshire 299 3.34x
Angus 297 3.32x
Leicestershire 268 2.50x
Renfrewshire 227 3.03x
Shetland 150 15.20x
Surrey 142 0.30x
Ayrshire 133 1.84x
Northamptonshire 133 1.46x
Berwickshire 116 9.91x
Lincolnshire 114 0.74x
Cheshire 108 0.51x
Banffshire 84 4.19x
Kent 68 0.21x
Suffolk 66 0.56x
Perthshire 65 1.50x
Stirlingshire 61 1.71x
Cumberland 60 0.72x
Morayshire 59 3.93x
East Lothian 56 4.38x
Norfolk 49 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 40 1.54x
Essex 40 0.21x
Staffordshire 39 0.12x
West Lothian 38 2.61x
Wigtownshire 37 2.88x
Roxburghshire 36 2.06x
Worcestershire 35 0.28x
Caithness 33 2.49x
Gloucestershire 29 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 28 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 27 1.26x
Kincardineshire 27 2.29x
Warwickshire 27 0.11x
Derbyshire 24 0.16x
Hampshire 24 0.12x
Clackmannanshire 23 2.88x
Sussex 20 0.12x
Argyllshire 19 0.71x
Devon 19 0.09x
Isle of Man 19 1.06x
Hertfordshire 17 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.13x
Shropshire 15 0.18x
Inverness-shire 14 0.49x
Cornwall 13 0.12x
Dorset 12 0.19x
Buteshire 11 1.88x
Selkirkshire 10 1.14x
Somerset 10 0.06x
Glamorgan 9 0.05x
Berkshire 7 0.10x
Oxfordshire 7 0.12x
Royal Navy 7 0.61x
Denbighshire 6 0.16x
Ross-shire 6 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.26x
Kinross-shire 4 1.64x
Monmouthshire 4 0.06x
Bedfordshire 3 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.07x
Channel Islands 3 0.10x
Nairnshire 3 1.02x
Cardiganshire 2 0.08x
Herefordshire 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.14x
Westmorland 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birsay Harray in Orkney leads with 237 Spences recorded in 1881 and an index of 307.11x.

Place Total Index
Birsay Harray 237 307.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 234 4.49x
Govan 223 2.89x
Leeds 178 3.29x
Barony 172 2.17x
Glasgow 142 2.56x
Dunfermline 129 14.67x
Dundee 99 2.96x
South Leith 98 6.73x
New Monkland 72 7.79x
Stromness 67 84.01x
Westoe 65 3.99x
Abbey 63 5.51x
Stranton 63 6.51x
Unst 63 87.28x
Kettering 59 16.05x
Bradford 57 2.46x
Leicester St Margaret 57 2.18x
Darlington 55 4.96x
Hartlepool 53 12.97x
Hunslet 53 3.55x
Kirkwall St Ola 53 33.28x
Stockton On Tees 52 3.75x
Enderby 50 90.14x
Middlesbrough 49 3.93x
Bramley In Bramley 48 13.09x
Liverpool 48 0.69x
Aberdeen Old Machar 44 2.35x
Elswick 44 3.83x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 44 5.12x
Gateshead 43 2.00x
Byker 42 5.91x
Ripon 42 18.91x
West Derby 42 1.25x
Leslie 41 28.31x
North Yell 41 150.96x
Sandwick 39 97.84x
Salford 38 1.13x
Hackney London 36 0.66x
Holy Trinity 36 1.56x
Liff Benvie 35 2.58x
South Ronaldshay 35 31.81x
West Greenock 35 2.60x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 34 2.03x
Falkirk 34 4.08x
Islington London 34 0.36x
Old Monkland 34 2.74x
Morley 33 6.63x
Sculcoates 32 2.11x
St Andrews Deerness 32 57.25x
Toxteth Park 32 0.82x
Staindrop 31 71.05x
Tynemouth 30 3.90x
Wallsend 30 6.58x
North Leith 29 4.84x
Dysart 28 7.27x
Headingley Cum Burley 28 4.54x
Manchester 28 0.54x
Wortley In Bramley 28 3.69x
Leyburn 27 83.80x
Mortlach 27 27.58x
Yell Mid 27 82.80x
Auchterderran 26 18.08x
East Greenock 26 3.68x
Haddington 26 13.76x
Montrose 26 4.79x
Newcastle On Tyne St 26 3.49x
West Ham 26 0.62x
Idle 25 5.63x
Kingsbarns 25 95.06x
Knottingley 25 14.85x
Monkwearmouth Shore 25 4.46x
St Andrewthe Less 25 3.58x
Thirsk 25 22.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 24 1.93x
Stronsay Eday 24 34.52x
Swinton 24 75.02x
Chirton 23 7.07x
Edinburgh Canongate 23 6.98x
Paisley Middle Church 23 5.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 419
Elizabeth 253
Sarah 180
Jane 175
Ann 131
Annie 106
Margaret 98
Hannah 80
Alice 74
Ellen 66
Eliza 65
Emma 61
Isabella 59
Emily 55
Martha 53
Louisa 32
Harriet 31
Ada 30
Agnes 29
Edith 28
Maria 27
Charlotte 26
Catherine 24
Frances 24
Anne 23
Fanny 22
Florence 22
Clara 21
Jessie 19
Caroline 18
Sophia 18
Amelia 17
Rachel 14
Susan 14
Elizth. 13
Rebecca 13
Harriett 12
Lucy 12
Matilda 12
Eleanor 11
Esther 11
Gertrude 11
Laura 11
Ruth 11
Dorothy 10
Kate 10
Lydia 10
Margt. 10
Maud 10
Rose 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 418
William 328
James 218
George 203
Thomas 196
Robert 123
Joseph 120
Henry 80
Charles 65
Edward 53
Arthur 51
Richard 40
Alfred 38
Samuel 35
Harry 32
Christopher 31
David 31
Wm. 29
Walter 27
Albert 26
Frederick 26
Alexander 22
Tom 22
Herbert 21
Frank 20
Ernest 15
Francis 15
Andrew 14
Matthew 14
Benjamin 13
Ralph 13
Thos. 12
Fred 11
Peter 11
Isaac 10
Daniel 9
Michael 8
Jno. 7
Philip 7
Edmund 6
Edwin 6
Geo. 6
Earnest 5
Fredrick 5
Mark 5
Robt. 5
Roger 5
Wilfred 5
Sam 4
Simon 4

FAQ

Spence surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spence surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,887 people were recorded with the Spence surname. That placed it at #435 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spence surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,388 in 2016. That gives Spence a modern rank of #437.

What does the Spence surname mean?

A surname of Scottish and English origin referring to a steward, butler, or dispenser of provisions.

What does the Spence map show?

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