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Spaven Family History

Spaven Surname Meaning

English (northeastern) and Scottish: nickname for a lame person (especially one with a lump on the leg?) a transferred use of Middle English and Older Scottish spavein spaven ‘spavin’ (Old French espa(r)vain) a disease of horses consisting of a bony tumour formed on the hock.

Compare Middle English spaveined ‘crippled’ (person) past participle of spaveinen ‘to lame oneself’.

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


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Where is the Spaven family from?

You can see how Spaven families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spaven family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spaven families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 204 Spaven families living in Yorkshire. This was about 66% of all the recorded Spaven's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Spaven families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spaven 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 Spaven 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 Spaven. 46% of Spaven men worked as a General Labourer and 84% of Spaven women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spaven were Iron Moulder Heavy Worker and Housewife.

View Census Data for Spaven | 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
    46%
  • Railway Carter
    19%
  • Railway Clerk Retired
    19%
  • Iron Moulder Heavy Worker
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
  • Household Duties
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Spaven family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Spaven. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spaven census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spaven

Passenger Lists

There are 505 immigration records available for the last name Spaven. 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 Spaven immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 305 military records available for the last name Spaven. For the veterans among your Spaven ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spaven military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spaven family history

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What is the average Spaven lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Spaven life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Spaven in 1961 was 46, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spaven

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spaven 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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