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Spellman Family History

Spellman Surname Meaning

English: from the early Middle English personal name Spileman Speleman late Old English Spilemann. Its original sense was probably ‘entertainer’ (literally ‘play-man’) corresponding to Middle High German spilmann Middle Low German speelman (see above). However although spile ‘play sport revelry’ and spilen ‘to play’ occur in Middle English there is no evidence for a word spileman and all the English evidence points to this surname being from the personal name rather than an occupational name.

Irish: in Connacht an Anglicized form of Mac Spealáin and Ó Spealáin (see Spillane).

Americanized form of German Spellmann: occupational name for a musician or minstrel from Middle Low German spel ‘play’ + man ‘man’.

Americanized form of German Spellmann: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine or Spellen near Wesel.

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


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Where is the Spellman family from?

You can see how Spellman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spellman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spellman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 106 Spellman families living in Lancashire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Spellman's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Spellman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spellman 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 Spellman 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 Spellman. 45% of Spellman men worked as a General Labourer and 86% of Spellman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spellman were Iron Foundry Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Spellman | 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
    45%
  • Incapacitated
    34%
  • Iron Foundry Labourer
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Domestic Help
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%

What Spellman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Spellman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spellman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spellman

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Spellman. For the veterans among your Spellman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spellman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spellman family history

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What is the average Spellman lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Spellman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Spellman in 1947 was 32, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spellman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spellman 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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