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Spense Family History

Spense Surname Meaning

see Spence.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Spense family from?

You can see how Spense families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spense family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spense families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Spense family living in Yorkshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Spense's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Spense families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spense 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 Spense ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Seamstress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Spense. 30% of Spense men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Spense women worked as a Seamstress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spense were New Worker and Housewife.

View Census Data for Spense | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Helper
    7%
  • New Worker
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Seamstress
    20%
  • Cook
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Housewife
    10%

What Spense family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Spense. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spense census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spense

Passenger Lists

There are 286 immigration records available for the last name Spense. 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 Spense immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 200 military records available for the last name Spense. For the veterans among your Spense ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spense military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spense family history

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What is the average Spense lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2002, in the United States, Spense life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Spense in 1962 was 52, and 21 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spense

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spense 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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