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Spelling Family History

Spelling Surname Meaning

from Middle English *speling or *spiling of uncertain meaning. It could be a derivative of either Old English spel ‘story spell’ or Old English spile spele ‘sport revelry play’ and have a similar sense to either Speller Spiller or Spilman.

from Mac Spealáin or Ó Spealáin see Spillane.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Spelling family from?

You can see how Spelling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spelling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spelling families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 42 Spelling families living in London. This was about 42% of all the recorded Spelling's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Spelling families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spelling 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 Spelling ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Railway Clerk and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Spelling. 100% of Spelling men worked as a Railway Clerk and 94% of Spelling women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Spelling | 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

  • Railway Clerk
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    94%
  • Ledger Clerk
    7%

What Spelling family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Spelling

Passenger Lists

There are 620 immigration records available for the last name Spelling. 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 Spelling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 643 military records available for the last name Spelling. For the veterans among your Spelling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spelling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spelling family history

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What is the average Spelling lifespan?

Between 1967 and 2003, in the United States, Spelling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Spelling in 1967 was 82, and 74 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spelling

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spelling 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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