Skip to content

Origins of the Spence surname

About the Spences

We have a total of 109886 records for people with the last name Spence.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1700s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Spences.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Spence family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1349North West 208Isle of Man 15Yorkshire 1451East Midlands 377West Midlands 80East 89London 852South East 267South West 82South Wales 17Mid Wales 2West Wales 1North Wales 11Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Spences lived in yorkshire

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    22,000 Spence Travel & migration records
    86,000 Spences found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Spence

    How common is your surname?

    474th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Spence surname. The oldest one dates back to 1506.

    Who were Spences most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Spences.

    What are the most common Spence first names?

    John

    William

    Mary

    Elizabeth

    Our tell us the names of Spence family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Spences

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Common female occupations for Spences in 1921

    Dressmaker

    409

    Domestic Servant

    271

    Housekeeper

    205

    House Servant

    189

    General Servant

    170

    Common male occupations for Spences in 1921

    Coal Miner

    537

    Farmer

    436

    Joiner

    259

    General Labourer

    257

    Tailor

    237

    We found over 480,000 family trees with the Spence surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Spences.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Spence family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname