Span History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Bavaria, one of the oldest and largest of the German states, is the birthplace of the Span family. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules. Names derived from occupations were particularly common in this region. Span is an occupational surname for metal worker having derived from the German word spange, meaning a clasp or buckle of the sort such a craftsman might have designed.

Early Origins of the Span family

The surname Span was first found in Bavaria, where the name spread to the north and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries such as Holland, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Span family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Span research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1484, 1528, 1540, 1550, 1604, 1678, 1686, 1719 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Span History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Span Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Span include Spengler, Spengel, Spengele, Spengeler, Spenger (Munich), Spaengler, Spaengel, Spangeler, Spangler and many more.

Early Notables of the Span family

Prominent among members of the name Span in this period include

Cyriacus Spangenberg (1528 -1604), a German theologian and historian, son of the reformer Johannes Spangenberg (de) (1484-1550.)...

Span Ranking

In the United States, the name Span is the 18,438^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Span migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Span Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Span, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2

Span Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Span, who arrived in New York in 1753 2

Span Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Span, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1856 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Span (post 1700) +

Thomas Span Plunket (1792-1866), 2nd Baron Plunket, Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achon

Citations +

"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)