The roots of the German surname Spell lie in the kingdom of
Bavaria, where the name originated. Spell 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 Spell family
The surname Spell 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 Spell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spell research.
Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1786, 1790, 1626, 1588, 1722 and 1783 are included under the topic Early Spell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spell 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 Spell family (pre 1700)
Prominent among members of the name Spell 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 Spell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Spell family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Spell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Georg Spell, who landed in Virginia in 1656 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Geo Spell, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Mary Spell, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Joseph Spell, who landed in Maryland in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Spell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Spell, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)