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Spears Family History

Spears Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: variant of Spear with post-medieval excrescent -s. The name has sometimes been confused with Pearse.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Spears family from?

You can see how Spears families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spears family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spears families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 104 Spears families living in Lancashire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Spears's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Spears families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spears 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 Spears 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 Spears. 18% of Spears men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Spears women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spears were Bus Conductor and Unpaid Domestic Dut.

View Census Data for Spears | 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
    18%
  • Builders Labourer
    11%
  • Incapacitated
    11%
  • Bus Conductor
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%

What Spears family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 122,000 census records available for the last name Spears. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spears census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spears

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Spears. 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 Spears immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Spears. For the veterans among your Spears ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spears military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spears family history

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What is the average Spears lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Spears life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Spears in 1942 was 53, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spears

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spears 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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