Contents [hide]

Spears History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Spears History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Spears surname comes from the Old English word "spere," meaning "spear." It may have originally been a nickname for a tall skinny person, or perhaps for a hunter skilled at using the spear. Alternatively, the could have been used for a "watchman or lookout man." 1 2 3

Another source notes: "Spere, to ask, to inquire; a word used formerly in Scotland and the north of Ireland." 4

Early Origins of the Spears family

The surname Spears was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland.

Further to the south in Yorkshire, England, the first record of the family was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 when Robertas Spyer was listed there at that time. 2

By the 16th century, Richard Spyre was listed as attending Oxford University in 1515; and George Speris was listed in Stirling, Scotland in 1548. 3

Early History of the Spears family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spears research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1417, 1475, 1626, 1664, 1807, 1846, 1869, 1884 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Spears History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spears Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Speir, Spier, Spears, Speirs, Spiers, Speer, Speers, Spere, Speres, Spire, Spires, Speyer, Speier, Speery and many more.

Early Notables of the Spears family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Speir of Edinburgh, a merchant, 1626. Alexander Spiers (1807-1869), the English lexicographer, was born at Gosport in Hampshire in 1807. He studied in England, in Germany, and in Paris and graduated doctor of philosophy at Leipzig. For fourteen...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spears Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spears Ranking

In the United States, the name Spears is the 717^th most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Spears family to Ireland

Some of the Spears family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spears migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spears Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Spears, who landed in America in 1760-1763 6
James Spears, who settled in New England in 1761

Spears Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Spears, who landed in America in 1810 6
William Spears, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1824 6
Alexander Spears, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6
Allen Spears, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6
Mr. John Spears, (b. 1806), aged 45, Cornish settler departing from London aboard the ship "Mechanic's Own" arriving in Wisconsin, USA on 15 September 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spears Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

James Spears, aged 47, who landed in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1904
James Spears, aged 5, who immigrated to the United States from Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1910
Elizabeth Spears, aged 11, who immigrated to the United States from Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1910
Annie Spears, aged 38, who settled in America from Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1910
Charles Spears, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Anfield Plain, England, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spears migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spears Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Ebenezer Spears U.E. who settled in St. David, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 8

Spears Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Margaret Spears who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Goliah" departing 21st May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 18th July 1847 but she died on board 9

Spears Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

George Spears, aged 23, who immigrated to Halifax, Canada, in 1908
Alexander Spears, aged 52, who immigrated to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1910
Gladys Spears, aged 24, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1920
John Spears, aged 39, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1922
Ethel Spears, aged 35, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1922

Spears migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Spears Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Spears, British Convict who was convicted in Colchester, Essex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 10
Gregory Spears, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Navarino" 11
William Spears, aged 32, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Bucephalus"

Spears migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Spears Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Spears, who landed in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand in 1843

Contemporary Notables of the name Spears (post 1700) +

Aaron Spears (1976-2023), American drummer
Bryan Spears (b. 1977), American film and television producer
Lynne Irene Spears (b. 1955), née Bridges, an American author and mother of Bryan Spears, Britney Spears, and Jamie Lynn Spears
The Right Reverend Robert Rae Spears Jr. (1918-2008), American Christian clergyman, former Episcopal Bishop of Rochester, New York
Jamie Lynn Spears (b. 1991), American actress, singer, and the younger sister of pop singer Britney Spears
Marcus Spears (b. 1983), American former NFL football defensive end who played from 2005 to 2013
Marcus Spears (b. 1971), American former NFL football offensive tackle who played from 1994 to 2004
Warren Spears (1954-2005), American dancer and choreographer
Ken Spears (b. 1942), American TV writer and animator
Harold L. Spears, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Marine Corps, during World War II, credited with 15 aerial victories
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Spears family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. James M Spears (1953-1985), American Specialist 4th Class from Costa Mesa, California, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 12

Fraterville mine

Mr. William Spears (d. 1902), African Welsh coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 13

HMS Repulse

Mr. Patrick James Spears, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Exeter 14

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 96)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Navarino.htm
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
News paper article Fraterville Mine Disaster retrieved on 6th August 2021. (Retrieved from http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/fraterville.htm).
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html