Get access to Span family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Span Family History

Span Surname Meaning

German: metonymic occupational name for a carpenter, a variant of Spahn. German: nickname for a quarrelsome person, a variant of Spann. Slovenian (Špan): from špan, a feudal status name for a serf chosen by an overlord to oversee other serfs and villeins working on the overlord's estate. This was also a status name for a village headman.

The word in both senses is ultimately derived from Slovenian/Slavic župan (see Zupan). Slovenian (Špan): nickname from archaic špan ‘fellow, companion’, also ‘sweetheart’, a word of German (Bavarian) origin.

Czech (Špán): nickname for a thin man from špán ‘wood chip’, a dialect word of German origin (see). Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia) (Špan): historical status name from a Slavicized form of Hungarian ispán (itself a derivative of Slavic župan; see Zupan).

In old Hungary, ispán was a title denoting the highest royal official standing at the head of the manor. Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname or artificial name from German Span ‘wood chip’.

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

Similar surnames:

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Span family from?

You can see how Span families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Span family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Span families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 16 Span families living in London. This was about 33% of all the recorded Span's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Span families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Span surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Span

What Span family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Span. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Span census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Span

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Span. 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 Span immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Span military records

You've only scratched the surface of Span family history

Discover More

What is the average Span lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Span life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Span in 1945 was 39, and 74 in 2004.

Start a 14-Day Free Trial