Spellman Family History
Spellman Name Meaning
English: from the early Middle English personal name Spileman Speleman late Old English Spilemann. Its original sense was probably ‘entertainer’ (literally ‘play-man’) corresponding to Middle High German spilmann Middle Low German speelman (see above). However although spile ‘play sport revelry’ and spilen ‘to play’ occur in Middle English there is no evidence for a word spileman and all the English evidence points to this surname being from the personal name rather than an occupational name. Irish: in Connacht an Anglicized form of Mac Spealáin and Ó Spealáin (see Spillane ). Americanized form of German Spellmann: occupational name for a musician or minstrel from Middle Low German spel ‘play’ + man ‘man’. Americanized form of German Spellmann: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine or Spellen near Wesel.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022