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Spear Family History

Spear Surname Meaning

English (Devon): nickname from Middle English spere ‘spear’ (Old English spere) perhaps used for a tall thin person or for a maker or skilled user of spears.

Compare Spearman.

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


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Where is the Spear family from?

You can see how Spear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spear families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 270 Spear families living in Devon. This was about 20% of all the recorded Spear's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Spear families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spear 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 Spear 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 Spear. 9% of Spear men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Spear women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spear were Farm Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Spear | 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
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Gardener
    8%
  • Farm Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Spear family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 111,000 census records available for the last name Spear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spear

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Spear. 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 Spear immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Spear. For the veterans among your Spear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spear family history

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What is the average Spear lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Spear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Spear in 1940 was 34, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spear

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spear 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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