NameCensus.

UK surname

Sperring

A German surname derived from the word sperren, meaning "to block" or "obstruct".

In the 1881 census there were 474 people recorded with the Sperring surname, ranking it #7,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 582, ranked #8,913, down from #7,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sperring is 649 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.8%.

1881 census count

474

Ranked #7,040

Modern count

582

2016, ranked #8,913

Peak year

1999

649 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sperring had 474 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 582 in 2016, ranked #8,913.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 626 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sperring surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sperring surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sperring 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 308 #7,478
1861 historical 230 #10,611
1881 historical 474 #7,040
1891 historical 481 #7,664
1901 historical 626 #6,839
1911 historical 620 #6,668
1997 modern 635 #7,808
1998 modern 643 #7,969
1999 modern 649 #7,950
2000 modern 641 #8,015
2001 modern 615 #8,138
2002 modern 644 #8,007
2003 modern 622 #8,099
2004 modern 627 #8,061
2005 modern 600 #8,274
2006 modern 597 #8,314
2007 modern 612 #8,231
2008 modern 624 #8,160
2009 modern 626 #8,316
2010 modern 632 #8,438
2011 modern 636 #8,302
2012 modern 609 #8,508
2013 modern 607 #8,662
2014 modern 609 #8,704
2015 modern 591 #8,828
2016 modern 582 #8,913

Geography

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Where Sperrings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton Somerset
4 London parishes London 2
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 013 Darlington
2 North Somerset 007 North Somerset
3 South Gloucestershire 029 South Gloucestershire
4 Bristol 027 Bristol, City of
5 Bristol 033 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sperring

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sperring

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Sperring surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sperring household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sperring 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

Sperring is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sperring falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sperring

The surname Sperring is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Sparsholt or Spersholte, which means "spare or thin wood" in Old English.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sperring appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. The entry refers to a man named William de Spersholte, likely indicating his place of origin or residence.

In the 14th century, the surname Sperring appears in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, which lists a John Speryng. This variation in spelling was common during this time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Sperring. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Sparsholt in Berkshire and Sparsholte in Wiltshire, indicating the potential origins of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Sperring throughout history include:

1. John Sperring (c. 1570 - c. 1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 2. William Sperring (1670 - 1741), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London, including the rebuilding of St. Mary's Church in Islington after the Great Fire of London. 3. Elizabeth Sperring (1744 - 1812), an English writer and poet who published several works, including "Poems on Various Subjects" in 1784. 4. George Sperring (1819 - 1893), a British railway engineer and inventor who patented various improvements to steam locomotive boilers and safety mechanisms. 5. Alfred Sperring (1874 - 1957), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, representing the constituency of Burnley from 1923 to 1931.

The surname Sperring has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Sperring's Farm in Hampshire and Sperring's Lane in Kent, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sperring families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sperring 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. Somerset leads with 191 Sperrings recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.61x.

County Total Index
Somerset 191 25.61x
Gloucestershire 66 7.26x
Hampshire 32 3.37x
Middlesex 28 0.60x
Staffordshire 26 1.66x
Surrey 19 0.84x
Wiltshire 16 3.90x
Kent 14 0.89x
Lancashire 14 0.25x
Shropshire 11 2.75x
Berkshire 9 2.59x
Essex 9 0.98x
Glamorgan 9 1.12x
Hertfordshire 7 2.19x
Cheshire 5 0.49x
Yorkshire 5 0.11x
Worcestershire 4 0.66x
Devon 2 0.21x
Warwickshire 2 0.17x
Bedfordshire 1 0.42x
Channel Islands 1 0.73x
Dorset 1 0.33x
Monmouthshire 1 0.30x
Northamptonshire 1 0.23x
Oxfordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 24 Sperrings recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.89x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 24 12.89x
West Bromwich 24 26.80x
Worle 23 1493.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 19 22.21x
Midsomer Norton 18 256.05x
Bristol St George 15 35.69x
Lympsham 14 1944.44x
Buckland Dinham 12 1666.67x
Oswestry Town 11 85.80x
Timsbury 11 486.73x
East Harptree 10 952.38x
Leyton 9 57.14x
Stapleton 9 52.20x
Westbury 9 947.37x
Bromley London 8 7.85x
Camerton 8 368.66x
Chislehurst 8 94.34x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 23.10x
Hemel Hempstead 7 48.64x
Kewstoke 7 598.29x
Michaelstone Super Avon 7 80.18x
Moss Side 7 24.20x
Newbury 7 62.84x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 7 116.47x
Alverstoke 6 17.45x
Bedminster 6 8.56x
Burnham 6 105.45x
Islington London 6 1.34x
Mangotsfield 6 66.23x
Mells 6 389.61x
Stone Easton 6 1052.63x
Bathwick 5 60.61x
Breane 5 2083.33x
Clevedon 5 64.43x
Deptford St Paul 5 4.10x
Lambeth 5 1.24x
Newington 5 2.92x
Priddy 5 1388.89x
Wedmore 5 103.09x
Blackburn 4 2.73x
Bristol St Paul In 4 16.52x
Childer Thornton 4 408.16x
Ealing 4 9.66x
Holy Trinity 4 3.62x
Stratton St Margaret 4 63.59x
West Harptree 4 540.54x
Britford 3 110.70x
Camberwell 3 1.01x
Cheltenham 3 4.28x
Kidderminster Borough 3 8.47x
Poplar London 3 3.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.22x
Stretford 3 9.92x
Trowbridge 3 16.57x
Weston Super Mare 3 15.93x
Alcester 2 51.95x
Cardiff St John 2 7.59x
Chewton Mendip 2 162.60x
Farrington Gurney 2 235.29x
Hungerford 2 42.55x
Liddiard Tregooze 2 190.48x
Market Lavington 2 90.09x
Shepton Mallet 2 23.89x
Southwark Christchurch 2 9.21x
St Martin In Fields 2 7.21x
Stafford St Mary 2 9.03x
Wells St Cuthbert 2 39.29x
Winterbourne 2 39.84x
Banwell 1 36.76x
Blackbourton 1 294.12x
Caterham 1 10.02x
Chilcompton 1 98.04x
Greenwich 1 1.36x
Hutton 1 181.82x
Newport 1 6.26x
Portland 1 6.12x
Redditch 1 8.15x
St Helier 1 2.24x
Wookey 1 60.98x
Wootton Bassett 1 28.09x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 23
George 22
James 17
Henry 16
Charles 12
Thomas 10
Albert 7
Frank 7
Robert 7
Arthur 6
Joseph 6
Walter 5
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
David 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Silvester 2
Theodore 2
Birtie 1
Earnest 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elizah 1
Enoch 1
Evan 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Gilbert 1
Henery 1
Jacob 1
Jim 1
Joshua 1
Juli... 1
Lot 1
Noah 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Reubin 1
Sam 1
Sampson 1
Sidney 1
Wm.George 1

FAQ

Sperring surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sperring surname in 1881?

In 1881, 474 people were recorded with the Sperring surname. That placed it at #7,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sperring surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 582 in 2016. That gives Sperring a modern rank of #8,913.

What does the Sperring surname mean?

A German surname derived from the word sperren, meaning "to block" or "obstruct".

What does the Sperring map show?

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