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Sparling Family History

Sparling Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Sperling Sparling Spirling Spurling Old English Spyrling. It has been suggested that this could be a metathesized and shortened form of Old English Sprytling, a derivative of Spryt(t)el, which forms the first element in the Lincolnshire placename Spridlington, though the etymology of the placename is uncertain.

English: from Middle English sperling sparling spirling spurling Anglo-Norman French esperlinge Middle Dutch spierlinc, denoting some kind of small fish, perhaps smelt, sprat, pilchard, or whiting.

It may have been given to someone who caught, sold, or resembled such fish.

Americanized form of German Sperling.

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


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Where is the Sparling family from?

You can see how Sparling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sparling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sparling families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 131 Sparling families living in Yorkshire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Sparling's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Sparling families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sparling 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 Sparling ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Sparling. 23% of Sparling men worked as a Bricklayer and 77% of Sparling women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sparling were Car Park Attendant and Housewife.

View Census Data for Sparling | 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

  • Bricklayer
    23%
  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Master Baker
    12%
  • Car Park Attendant
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Sparling family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Sparling. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sparling census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sparling

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Sparling. 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 Sparling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Sparling. For the veterans among your Sparling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sparling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sparling family history

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What is the average Sparling lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Sparling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Sparling in 1952 was 44, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sparling

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sparling ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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