Contents [hide]

Spooner History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Spooner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Spooner surname is generally thought to have derived from the Middle English word "spoon," which was a "chip," or "splinter" of wood; and as such, was an occupational name for someone who made wooden roof shingles. It was on after the 14th century, under Scandinavian influence, that the word spoon, began to acquire its modern usage as an eating utensil, but it is certainly possible that the surname may also have been taken on occupationally by someone who made spoons.

Early Origins of the Spooner family

The surname Spooner was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Other early records include Roger Lesponere, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1179, and a Thomas, Robert le Sponere in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1221.

Early History of the Spooner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spooner research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1589 is included under the topic Early Spooner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spooner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Spooner, Spouner, Sponer and others.

Early Notables of the Spooner family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Spooner of Handsworth

Spooner Ranking

In the United States, the name Spooner is the 3,475^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in New Zealand, the name Spooner is ranked the 999^th most popular surname with an estimated 757 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Spooner family to Ireland

Some of the Spooner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spooner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spooner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas and William Spooner who settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623
Thomas Spooner, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1638 3
Ales Spooner, who landed in Maryland in 1649 3
William Spooner, who landed in Virginia in 1650 3
Alice Spooner, who landed in Maryland in 1659 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spooner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Spooner, who landed in Virginia in 1713 3
Michael Spooner, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1727
William Spooner, who settled in Boston in 1766
John Spooner, who landed in America in 1782 3

Spooner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hugh Spooner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1827 3
E A Spooner, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
Peter Spooner, who landed in America in 1878 3

Spooner Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mike, Spooner Jr., who landed in Arkansas in 1906 3
Frank Spooner, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 3
Alex Spooner, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 3

Spooner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spooner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Charles Spooner was foreman of a Grand Jury in Fortune Bay, Newfoundland in 1811 4
George Spooner, who settled in Brigus, Newfoundland in 1816 4

Spooner migration to Australia +

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

Spooner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Spooner, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, Norfolkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. William Spooner, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Abraham Spooner, British Convict who was convicted in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Louisa Spooner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Anna Maria" in 1849 8
Phoebe Spooner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ramillies" in 1849 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spooner 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:

Spooner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. Swinton Spooner, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
J. S. Spooner, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Indus" in 1843
Miss Spooner, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Hamilla Mitchell" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th November 1853 10
Mr. G. Spooner, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 10
Mr. Walter Spooner, (b. 1864), aged 3, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spooner migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Spooner Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Edward Spooner, who arrived in Jamaica in 1685

Spooner Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

John Spooner, who arrived in Jamaica in 1722

Contemporary Notables of the name Spooner (post 1700) +

William "Sputnik" Spooner (b. 1949), American musician, guitarist, songwriter and the founder of The Tubes, rock band
Lloyd Spencer Spooner (1884-1966), American sports shooter, 1920 Olympic Champion
Henry Joshua Spooner (1839-1918), American politician, U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
David M Spooner, American Assistant Secretary for Import Administration
Lysander Spooner (1808-1887), American individualist anarchist, political philosopher, abolitionist, and legal theorist
L. R. Spooner, American politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 21st District, 1889-90 12
John Coit Spooner (1843-1919), American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1872; U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1885-91, 1897-1907 12
Henry Joshua Spooner (1839-1918), American Republican politician, Member of Rhode Island State House of Representatives; Speaker of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1879-81 12
Ellsworth D. Spooner, American Republican politician, Supervisor of Waterford Township, Michigan; Elected 1904 12
Clapp Spooner, American politician, Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1863-64 12
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Spooner family +

Empress of Ireland

Mrs. Margaret Spooner (1849-1914), née Hill Belgian Third Class Passenger from Antwerp, Belgium who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 13
Mrs. Mary Spooner (d. 1914), née Smith Belgian Third Class Passenger from Antwerp, Belgium who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 13
Captain Rufus Thompson Spooner (1888-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 13
Mr. Ralph Spooner (1850-1914), Belgian Third Class Passenger from Antwerp, Belgium who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 13

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ANNA MARIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849AnnaMaria.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILIES 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Ramillies.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html