The Spear surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,284 people carried this name — #2,712 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 22,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 13,049 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Spear surname

An English surname transferred from the nickname or originating as an occupation.

From Middle English spere (“spear”), from Old English spere (“spear”), variously intending a spearman, a spearmaker, or a person tall and thin in a way reminiscent of a spear.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Spear» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the spier’.

An early record he cites: Robertus Spyer, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Spyer, Speer, Spier, Spire, Spear and Spiers.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 710 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Spear was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Cornwall: 17 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 588. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cornwall 17
Devon 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Spear in American newspapers,
1908–1914.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Spear
The Birmingham Age-herald 1914-12-27
Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name Spear
The Montgomery Advertiser 1908-03-18
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Spear
The Birmingham Age-herald 1908-03-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,461 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Spear in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

10,076 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Spear. The most, 1,657, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,482
Victoria 2,275
Queensland 1,513
Western Australia 766
South Australia 540
Tasmania 434
ACT (Canberra) 56
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Spear.

Who carried it

People named Spear,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Catherine Swan Brown Spear
    Catherine Swan Brown Spear 1813–1903 · educator
  • Chauncey Loren Spear
    Chauncey Loren Spear 1819–1882 · politician
  • Linda Patia Spear d. 2020 · psychologist
  • Elizabeth Spear d. 1904
  • Sidney Spear d. 1881
  • Joseph Spear 1750–1837 · military personnel

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Spear,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,584 records

1,584 records of the Spear name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 569
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 384
  • Other U.S. records 631
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles M. Spear

    Born 1917 in Minnesota. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Snelling; inspector from Ramsey County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Spear

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow, aged 37; servant. From Lisburne, Ireland; bound for Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Fred Harold Spear

    Born 1948; from Roseville, Michigan. U.S. Marine Corps, assault amphibious vehicle crewman; died of wounds 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,584 records for Spear in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia325 records

325 records of the Spear name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 196
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 74
  • Other Australian records 55
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Benjamin Spear

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1835. Married 1835 in Longford, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Spear

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Aurora, arriving 1833.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elijah Spear

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Earl Grey, aged 1; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 325 records for Spear in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada35 records

35 records of the Spear name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 8
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 7
  • Other Canadian records 20
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Spear

    Came to Ontario in 1878 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for New Louel, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Arnott Ballingal Spear

    Buried in 2000 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 103.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Henry Spear

    Died 1941 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 35 records for Spear in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands11 records

11 records of the Spear name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Elisabeth Spear

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1891 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ida Spear

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1894 in Furth.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Julius Spear

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1889 in London.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Spear in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Spear name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. T. Spear

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Spear

    Evonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Spear

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Spear in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Spear name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ruby Spear

    Buried in 1915 at Omahu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 25.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Richard Spear

    Died 1903, aged 81; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eva Clara Spear

    Died 1973, aged 88; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Spear in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Spear name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Viliam Spear

    Census of 1910: Hundholmen, Tysfjord.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Spear.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Spear is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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