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In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the name Sparr lived in the Kingdom of Dalriada. In those days the name Sparr was used to indicate a person who person who carried a sporran, which is the purse worn with the kilt in Highland Scottish dress. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac-an-sporain, which means son of the purse.
The surname Sparr was first found in on the Isle of Iona, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sparr research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1745 is included under the topic Early Sparr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Sparr has appeared as MacSporran, MacSparran and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Sparr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Sparr or a variant listed above include: