Show ContentsSpillman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the German surname Spillman lie in the kingdom of Bavaria, where the name originated. Spillman is an occupational name, deriving from the Middle High German verb "spillen," meaning "to play, jest, sport." Thus, it is likely that the name was originally borne by an actor or a jester.

Early Origins of the Spillman family

The surname Spillman was first found in the city of Offenburg, in modern Baden-Wuerttemburg, where the name Spielman could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name Spielmann became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in a constantly changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Spillman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spillman research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1626, 1722, 1783, 1786 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Spillman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spillman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Spielmann, Spielman, Spellman, Spelmann, Spellmann, Speilman, Speillmann, Spillman, Spillmann, Spilman and many more.

Early Notables of the Spillman family

Prominent among members of the name Spillman in this period include Sir John Spilman (also spelt Spielman) (died 1626) German-born entrepreneur who founded the first commercially successful paper-mill in...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spillman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spillman Ranking

In the United States, the name Spillman is the 4,546th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Spillman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spillman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Spillman, who landed in Virginia in 1623 2
  • John Spillman, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2
  • Francis Spillman, who landed in Maryland in 1674 2
Spillman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Spillman, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 2
  • Casper Spillman, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 2
  • Heinrich Spillman, who landed in Carolina in 1734 2
  • Hanseli Spillman, who arrived in Carolina in 1734
Spillman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • F. H. Spillman, who arrived in Galveston, TX in 1850
  • Magdalena Spillman, aged 59, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 2
  • H. Spillman, who settled in Texas in 1860
  • Gustavus L. Spillman, who arrived in Indiana in 1891

Canada Spillman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Spillman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Edmond Spillman, who arrived in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Spillman (post 1700) +

  • Ora Seldon Spillman, American politician, Delegate to Nebraska State Constitutional Convention, 1919-20; Nebraska State Attorney General, 1923-29 3
  • J. Boyd Spillman, American Republican politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 46th District, 1958 3
  • Karl Spillman Forester (b. 1940), United States federal judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (1988-)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Eliza Spillman, American 2nd Class passenger from Wyandotte, Michigan, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 4
  • Mr. John Bowen Spillman, American 2nd Class passenger from Wyandotte, Michigan, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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