Spong History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Bavaria, one of the oldest and largest of the German states, is the birthplace of the Spong family. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules. Names derived from occupations were particularly common in this region. Spong 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 Spong family

The surname Spong 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 Spong family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spong 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 Spong History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spong Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Spong include Spengler, Spengel, Spengele, Spengeler, Spenger (Munich), Spaengler, Spaengel, Spangeler, Spangler and many more.

Early Notables of the Spong family

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

Spong migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Spong or a variant listed above:

Spong Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Spong, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1877 1

Spong migration to Australia +

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

Spong Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Newing Spong, (Newin, Newen), British Convict who was convicted in Sandwich, Kent, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1881 2
Mr. William Spong, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Spong (post 1700) +

John Shelby "Jack" Spong (1931-2021), American bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop of Newark, New Jersey (1979-2000)
William Belser Spong Jr. (1920-1997), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State House of Delegates, 1954-55; Member of Virginia State Senate, 1956-66; U.S. Senator from Virginia, 1966-73; Defeated, 1972 4
Rohan Spong (b. 1981), Australian film director and photographer
Walter Brookes Spong (1851-1929), English stage and watercolor painter, father of Hilda Spong
Hilda Spong (1875-1955), English actress of stage and screen
Roger Spong (1906-1980), English rugby union international player who represented England from 1929 to 1932
Richard Spong (b. 1983), Swedish professional footballer

Citations +

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 of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html