Sparr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Sparr came from the baptismal name Sparrowhawk, and in " 'the son of Sparrowhawk'; found as early as Domesday [Book] in the forms Sperhauoc (Nottinghamshire) [and] Sparhauoc (Suffolk.)" 1 The name could have been a nickname as in 'the sparrow - hawk,' having derived from the Middle English word "sperhauke." Another source notes the name could have been derived from the Old Norse words "sparkr" or "sproek" which meant "lively, sprightly." 2

Early Origins of the Sparr family

The surname Sparr was first found in Lincolnshire where William Sperc was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1202. A few years later, Ralph Sparke was listed in Suffolk in 1221. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Sparhcuk Sutor in Suffolk; Thomas Sperheuk in Lincolnshire; and Nicholas Sparke in Norfolk. 1 John Sparhauk was rector of St Buttolph the Abbot, Norwich in 1351 and Kirby's Quest listed Gilbert Sperhauk in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 3

Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Magota Spark and Robertus Spark as both living there at that time. 1

Early History of the Sparr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sparr research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1407, 1548, 1554, 1566, 1574, 1583, 1584, 1591, 1603, 1604, 1613, 1616, 1628, 1629, 1636, 1640, 1660, 1677, 1680, 1683, 1692, 1698 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Sparr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sparr Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Sparr family name include Sparke, Spark, Sparkes, Sparks and others.

Early Notables of the Sparr family

Notables of the family at this time include John Sparke (died 1566), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle in 1554; John Sparke (d.1603) of Plymouth, Devon, Mayor of Plymouth in 1583 and 1591; and his son, John Sparke (c. 1574-1640), an English politician from The Friary, in the parish of St Jude, Plymouth, Devon, who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629; and his grandson, John Sparke (1636-1680) an English landowner and...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sparr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sparr migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Sparr surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Sparr Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Walter Sparr, who landed in Virginia in 1656 4

Sparr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elsbeth Sparr, who landed in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1736 4
George Sparr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 4
Michael Sparr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1769 4
Jacob Sparr, who landed in America in 1772 4

Sparr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

O M Sparr, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)