Contents [hide]

Spearman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Spearman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change, including many immigrants with new names. Spearman is a name for a watchman or guardian, and indicates the profession of the first person who used the name.

Early Origins of the Spearman family

The surname Spearman was first found in Shropshire where they were known as the Spearmans of Dunnington, anciently spelt Donington. The village at this time was only a Mill, and was owned by Earl Roger, from whom the Spearmans are conjecturally descended. Nearby is St.Cuthbert's well, the water of which is said to cure eye complaints. The family was "seated there since the Conquest, and said to be descended from the old Lords of Aspramont." 1 A branch of the family was found at early times in Thornley in Durham. "The township comprises the two estates of Thornley Hall and Gore Hall, both of which have been the property of the Spearman family for more than 150 years. Thornley Hall, a spacious mansion supposed to occupy the site of the castle, is situated on a commanding eminence." 2

Early History of the Spearman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spearman research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1614 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Spearman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spearman Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Spearman, Speerman, Speirman, Spearmen, Speermen and others.

Early Notables of the Spearman family

More information is included under the topic Early Spearman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spearman Ranking

In the United States, the name Spearman is the 3,536^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Spearman migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Spearman or a variant listed above:

Spearman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Spearman, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1607 4
Harry Spearman and John settled in Virginia in 1608
James Spearman, who arrived in Virginia in 1650
Jam Spearman, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 4
Hannah Spearman, who landed in Maryland in 1670 4

Spearman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Spearman, who arrived in Maryland in 1750

Spearman migration to Australia +

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

Spearman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Spearman, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. William Spearman, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Spearman (post 1700) +

Armegis O. Spearman (b. 1978), former American football linebacker
John J. Spearman (b. 1824), American iron manufacturer
Frank Hamilton Spearman (1859-1937), American author
Doug Spearman (b. 1962), American actor
Glenn Spearman (1947-1998), American jazz tenor saxophonist
Robert Spearman (1703-1761), English eccentric theologian, born in city of Durham, eldest son of Robert Spearman, attorney
Charles Edward Spearman PhD, (1863-1945), English psychologist known for work in statistics
Sir Alexander Cadwallader Mainwaring Spearman (1901-1982), British Conservative Member of Parliament
Craig Murray Spearman (b. 1972), New Zealand cricketer
Sir Alexander Spearman (1901-1982), governor of the London School of Economics, Knighted in 1956

Historic Events for the Spearman family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Mark Spearman (1964-1985), American Private from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 7

The Spearman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath I hope.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550