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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
Bavaria, one of the oldest and largest of the German states, is the birthplace of the Spenger family. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules. Names derived from occupations were particularly common in this region. Spenger 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.
The surname Spenger 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.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spenger 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 Spenger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Spenger include Spengler, Spengel, Spengele, Spengeler, Spenger (Munich), Spaengler, Spaengel, Spangeler, Spangler and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Spenger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Spenger surname or a spelling variation of the name include: