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Spier Family History

Spier Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name from Middle English spier(e) ‘spy watchman scout’ (Old French espierre espieur). English: variant of Spear.

German: nickname for a physically small person from Middle Low German spīr ‘trifle small piece’. German: habitational name from any of several places called Spier named with the old element spir ‘(muddy) water’ notably the city in the Palatinate now spelled Speyer (see Speyer).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Spiro.

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


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Where is the Spier family from?

You can see how Spier families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spier family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spier families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 42 Spier families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Spier's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Spier families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spier 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 Spier 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 Spier. 50% of Spier men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Spier women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spier were Retired and Housewife.

View Census Data for Spier | 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
    50%
  • Retired
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Private Means
    9%
  • Retired
    5%
  • Housewife
    5%

What Spier family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Spier. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spier census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spier

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Spier. 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 Spier immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Spier military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spier family history

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What is the average Spier lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Spier life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Spier in 1946 was 49, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spier

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spier 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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