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Speller Family History

Speller Name Meaning

English and South German: occupational name for a reciter speaker or story-teller from an agent derivative of Middle English spell(en) Middle High German spellen ‘to tell or relate’. In the case of the English surname there has probably been some confusion with Spiller . German: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine (Lower Saxony). English: variant of Spiller 1 and English: occupational or nickname from Middle English speller(e) ‘one who can spell’ perhaps also ‘interpreter one who can explain the written word’ a derivative of Anglo-Norman French espeleir ‘to mean signify; to explain interpret’. Such a name would be suitable for a clerk or for someone who pretended to have clerical skills but it is unlikely to be the main source of the modern name.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Seller, Spiller, Peller, Feller, Beller, Selle, Zeller, Spille, Speer

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Speller family from?

You can see how Speller families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Speller family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Speller families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 366 Speller families living in London. This was about 36% of all the recorded Speller's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Speller families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Speller surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Speller ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Speller. 9% of Speller men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Speller women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Speller were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Speller | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Farmworker
    7%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Speller family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Speller. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Speller census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Speller

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Speller. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Speller immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Speller. For the veterans among your Speller ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Speller military records

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What is the average Speller lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Speller life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Speller in 1943 was 39, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Speller

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