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Speller Family History

Speller Surname Meaning

English and South German: occupational name for a reciter, speaker, or story-teller from an agent derivative of Middle English spell(en) and Middle High German spellen ‘to tell or relate’. In the case of the English surname, there has probably been some confusion with Spiller.

German: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine (Lower Saxony). English: variant of Spiller.

English: occupational or nickname from Middle English speller(e) ‘one who can spell’, perhaps also ‘interpreter, one who can explain the written word’, a derivative of Anglo-Norman French espeleir ‘to mean, signify; to explain, interpret’.

Such a name would be suitable for a clerk or for someone who pretended to have clerical skills, but it is unlikely to be the main source of the modern name.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Speller family from?

You can see how Speller families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Speller family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Speller families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 29 Speller families living in Ontario. This was about 71% of all the recorded Speller's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Speller families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Speller surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Speller ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Speller. 60% of Speller men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Speller | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    60%
  • Labourer
    40%

What Speller family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Speller. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Speller census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Speller

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Speller. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Speller immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Speller. For the veterans among your Speller ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Speller military records

You've only scratched the surface of Speller family history

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What is the average Speller lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Speller life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Speller in 1943 was 39, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Speller

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Speller ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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