Show ContentsSpence History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Spence Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Spence

What does the name Spence mean?

The Spence surname derives from the Old French word "despense," from the Latin "dispendere" meaning "to dispense;" as such, it is thought to have been an metonymic occupational surname for someone in charge of the pantry of a great house or monastery. The Middle English word "spense" means "larder" or "storeroom."

Early Origins of the Spence family

The surname Spence was first found in Yorkshire, where Simon del Spens (or de la Despense) was on record in 1300, in the Charters of Guisburn Priory, Yorkshire. Other early records include Amice ate Spense, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex of 1327; and William atte Spence listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in that same year.

Early History of the Spence family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spence research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1320, 1358, 1365, 1385, 1390, 1426, 1428 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Spence History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spence Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Spence, Spens, Spense, Spenceley, Spencley and many more.

Early Notables of the Spence family

  • Patrick Spence who migrated to Virginia and was great grandfather of James Monroe, President of the United States

Spence World Ranking

the United States, the name Spence is the 808th most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Spence is ranked the 456th most popular surname with an estimated 10,528 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Spence is the 609th popular surname with an estimated 6,417 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Spence as 352nd with 1,812 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Spence as 422nd with 15,372 people. 5

Migration of the Spence family to Ireland

Some of the Spence family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spence migration to the United States +



Spence Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mrs. Spence, who was on record in Virginia in 1623
  • William Spence, his wife, and their child, were listed as living at Jame's Island, Virginia as per the Governor's lists of inhabitants of the colony compiled on February 16th 1623
  • Sara Spence, who landed in Virginia in 1623 7
  • Sarah Spence, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1624 7
  • Francis Spence, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Spence Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ringin Spence, who landed in Virginia in 1715 7
  • Rachel Spence, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738-1739 7
  • Catherine Spence, who arrived in Virginia in 1760 7
  • Thomas Spence, who landed in New Jersey in 1760 7
  • John Russell Spence, who arrived in New England in 1768 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Spence Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Barbara Spence, aged 24, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 7
  • Patrick Spence, who landed in South Carolina in 1808 7
  • Charles Spence, who arrived in New York in 1815 7
  • Joseph Spence, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1818 7
  • James Spence, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1830 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spence migration to Canada +

Spence Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. James Spence U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he became a Freeman in 1785 was a Carpenter 8
  • Mr. Robert Spence U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 8
  • Mr. William Spence U.E. (b. 1747) who settled in Hampton, Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1821 8
Spence Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Peter Spence, aged 20, who landed in Canada in 1811
  • Richard Spence, who settled in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1821 9
  • Daniel Spence, who was on record in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1822 9
  • Thomas Spence, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
  • Marianne Spence, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spence migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Spence, (b. 1759), aged 28, English settler convicted in London on 10th December 1783, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Friendship" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 6
Following the Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Spence Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Hannah Spence, (Ann, Barnes), British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. John Spence, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • Catherine Helen Spence, aged 14, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Palmyra" in 1839 12
  • David Spence a lawyer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Palmyra" in 1839 12
  • Helen Brodie Spence, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Palmyra" in 1839 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Spence 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:

Spence Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Spence, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 13
  • Dr Spence, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
  • William Spence, aged 36, a surgeon, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Fifeshire" in 1842 14
  • George Spence, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Morning Star" in 1861
  • Charles J. Spence, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1861
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Spence (post 1700) +

  • Gerald Leonard "Gerry" Spence (1929-2025), American trial lawyer and author, inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, he never lost a criminal trial before a jury, either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney, one of the greatest lawyers of the 20th century, The New York Times said that "in the tradition of Perry Mason, he seemed unbeatable"
  • Jonathan Dermot Spence CMG (1936-2021), English-born American historian, sinologist, and writer specialising in Chinese history, Sterling Professor of History at Yale University from 1993 to 2008
  • Samuel Lloyd Spence (1927-2016), American soundtrack composer, best known for his work with NFL Films
  • Andrew Michael Spence (b. 1943), American economist and co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics
  • Floyd Davidson Spence (1928-2001), American lawyer and politician, U.S. Congressman from South Carolina
  • Edward E. Spence, American politician, Mayor of Beverly Hills, California, 1937 15
  • E. L. Spence, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1952 16
  • Donald Spence, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1960 16
  • David Spence, American Republican politician, Candidate for Governor of Missouri, 2012 16
  • ... (Another 55 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Centaur
  • Robert James Spence (d. 1943), Australian Carpenter who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
  • Mr. John Spence, Australian 2nd Officer who died aboard the ship "Dunbar" when she sunk off the coast of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), Australia on 28th August 1857
  • Noel William Spence (d. 1942), British Ordinary Seaman aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 16
  • Mr. Tristram F Spence (b. 1910), English Lieutenant (E) serving for the Royal Navy from Low Fell, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17
  • Mr. Charles Spence, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 18
  • ... (Another 4 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Spence +

  • Darnall, Spence, Steers, Spangler, Stuckley, Sill by Erma D. Stuckey.
  • The Spencer Family history by O.M. Richards.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  7. 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)
  8. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  9. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PALMYRA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Palmyra.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  16. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  17. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  18. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html

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