NameCensus.

UK surname

Spoor

A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "track" or "trail" left by a person or animal.

In the 1881 census there were 335 people recorded with the Spoor surname, ranking it #9,016 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 409, ranked #11,694, down from #9,016 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Wrexham and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spoor is 473 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.1%.

1881 census count

335

Ranked #9,016

Modern count

409

2016, ranked #11,694

Peak year

1911

473 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spoor had 335 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,016 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016, ranked #11,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 473 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spoor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spoor surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Spoor 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 335 #9,016
1891 historical 389 #9,085
1901 historical 431 #8,982
1911 historical 473 #8,179
1997 modern 433 #10,375
1998 modern 440 #10,581
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 426 #10,878
2001 modern 426 #10,697
2002 modern 444 #10,553
2003 modern 419 #10,875
2004 modern 406 #11,155
2005 modern 392 #11,355
2006 modern 399 #11,282
2007 modern 404 #11,290
2008 modern 400 #11,468
2009 modern 401 #11,712
2010 modern 426 #11,396
2011 modern 412 #11,593
2012 modern 398 #11,755
2013 modern 407 #11,766
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 408 #11,737
2016 modern 409 #11,694

Geography

Back to top

Where Spoors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Ryton and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Wrexham, Swale, Birmingham and Blaby. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Ryton Durham
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 008 Waveney
2 Wrexham 018 Wrexham
3 Swale 001 Swale
4 Birmingham 125 Birmingham
5 Blaby 013 Blaby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Spoor

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Spoor

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spoor, 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 Spoor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spoor 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Spoor is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spoor 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

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

Meaning and origin of Spoor

The surname Spoor is believed to have originated in Germany, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "spor," meaning "track" or "trail," which suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in hunting or tracking activities.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Spoor can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the year 1281. In this record, a person named Johannes Spor is mentioned, indicating the early usage of the name in its original spelling variation.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Spoor appeared in various regions of Germany, including the Rhineland and Bavaria. It is believed that some individuals bearing this name may have been involved in professions related to forestry, hunting, or tracking, due to the name's etymological connection to the concept of a "trail."

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Spoor (c. 1500-1570) was a prominent German cartographer and surveyor. His detailed maps and surveys of various regions contributed significantly to the advancement of cartography during his time.

Another historical figure associated with the Spoor surname was Johann Spoor (1625-1691), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the region of Saxony. His extensive work on cataloging and describing local flora was instrumental in advancing botanical knowledge during the 17th century.

The surname Spoor also found its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. In the 18th century, a Dutch merchant named Willem Spoor (1712-1782) established a successful trading company that exported goods to various parts of the world, contributing to the economic prosperity of the Dutch Republic.

In England, one notable individual bearing the Spoor surname was Sir Thomas Spoor (1788-1864), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several years during the early 19th century.

It is worth noting that the surname Spoor has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Spor, Spore, and Spohr, among others. These variations reflect the regional and linguistic differences in different parts of Europe where the name was present.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Spoor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spoor 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. Durham leads with 147 Spoors recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.44x.

County Total Index
Durham 147 15.44x
Northumberland 83 17.44x
Suffolk 31 7.95x
Surrey 19 1.22x
Yorkshire 18 0.57x
Lincolnshire 11 2.15x
Middlesex 10 0.31x
Devon 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.16x
Kent 1 0.09x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.23x
Shropshire 1 0.36x
Somerset 1 0.19x
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. Whickham in Durham leads with 49 Spoors recorded in 1881 and an index of 559.36x.

Place Total Index
Whickham 49 559.36x
Wallsend 19 125.83x
Westoe 17 31.50x
Bishopwearmouth 15 18.36x
Coxlodge 15 414.36x
Gateshead 13 18.24x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 17.06x
Westgate 11 37.31x
Benwell 10 192.31x
Great Grimsby 9 27.72x
Kelsale 9 833.33x
St Luke London 8 15.59x
Brandon Byshottles 7 58.72x
Harton 7 186.17x
Rotherhithe 7 17.71x
Stranton 7 21.85x
Wenhaston 7 729.17x
Escomb 6 137.30x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 24.31x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 6 95.85x
Putney 6 41.15x
Southwick 6 66.59x
Bishop Auckland 5 39.15x
Covehithe 5 2631.58x
Kirkley 4 122.70x
Tynemouth 4 15.69x
York St Maurice 4 67.00x
Elswick 3 7.90x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 7.28x
Tanfield 3 26.50x
Battersea 2 1.70x
Easington 2 144.93x
Halesworth 2 72.46x
Heaton 2 126.58x
Hexham 2 27.14x
Lowestoft 2 10.86x
West Denton 2 400.00x
Broom 1 126.58x
Bury 1 2.31x
Byker 1 4.25x
Camberwell 1 0.49x
Castle Eden 1 104.17x
Cliffe 1 40.65x
Darlington 1 2.72x
Darsham 1 208.33x
Ellesmere 1 21.05x
Elvet 1 14.56x
Frodingham 1 54.95x
Handsworth 1 11.93x
Hetton Le Hole 1 8.29x
Hornsey 1 2.47x
Hunwick Helmington 1 43.67x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 7.56x
Jesmond 1 14.93x
Lambeth 1 0.36x
Leckhampton 1 25.84x
Lidford 1 33.44x
Mortlake 1 14.39x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 3.52x
Newington 1 11.45x
Northampton Priory St 1 5.54x
Nuneaton 1 10.70x
Sherburn House 1 476.19x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.55x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 22.08x
St Margaret Lincoln 1 217.39x
Wakefield 1 4.11x
Walcot 1 3.65x
Worksop 1 7.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Jane 13
Elizabeth 12
Ann 10
Isabella 10
Margaret 8
Alice 6
Annie 6
Hannah 6
Catherine 4
Dorothy 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Isab. 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Amie 1
Amy 1
Blanche 1
Clara 1
Diana 1
Elisabeth 1
Ellen 1
Elsie 1
Emilie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Evangeline 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hanah 1
Irene 1
Jemima 1
Jenne 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lilly 1
Luisa 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 20
George 13
Joseph 10
Robert 10
Stephen 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Edward 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Ambrose 3
Charles 3
Henry 3
Jacob 3
Joshua 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Carl 1
Christopher 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Ferdinand 1
Frederick 1
Fredinard 1
Fredk. 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Michl. 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Rob 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Ward 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Spoor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spoor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 335 people were recorded with the Spoor surname. That placed it at #9,016 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spoor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016. That gives Spoor a modern rank of #11,694.

What does the Spoor surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "track" or "trail" left by a person or animal.

What does the Spoor map show?

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