Sprake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Sprake is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a person who because of their physical abilities was referred to as "sprack" or "spragg." This nickname surname was used to denote those individuals who were "agile", "nimble" and "quite lively." 1 2 3

In Shakespeare's comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, he states "He is a good sprag memory," IV. i. 84. 4

Early Origins of the Sprake family

The surname Sprake was first found in Suffolk where Reginald Sprag is listed in Suffolk in 1303. This is generally considered to be the first record of the family. A few years later, Richard Sprak was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 and Alice Sprakes was listed in Somerset in 1359. 5

Early History of the Sprake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sprake research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1620, 1632, 1645, 1655, 1664, 1673, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1720, 1725, 1919, 1944 and 1946 are included under the topic Early Sprake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprake Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Sprake has been recorded under many different variations, including Spragg, Spragge, Sprague, Sprake, Sprigg, Spriggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Sprake family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Rev. Harvey Spragg of Essex; Joshua Sprigg or Sprigge (1618-1684), an English Independent theologian and preacher, chaplain to Sir Thomas Fairfax; and Francis Spriggs (died 1725), a British pirate active...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sprake Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sprake family to Ireland

Some of the Sprake family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 113 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprake migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sprake or a variant listed above:

Sprake Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James and Mary Sprake, who settled in Virginia in 1663

Sprake Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Sprake, aged 52, who arrived in Kentucky in 1812 6

Sprake 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:

Sprake Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

S. B. Sprake, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1870

Contemporary Notables of the name Sprake (post 1700) +

Gareth Sprake (1945-2016), Welsh professional footballer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)