History of your Surname
Get access to Span family records.Start a free trial

Span Family History

Span Name Meaning

German: metonymic occupational name for a carpenter a variant of Spahn . German: nickname for a quarrelsome person a variant of Spann . Slovenian (Špan): from špan a feudal status name for a serf chosen by an overlord to oversee other serfs and villeins working on the overlord's estate. This was also a status name for a village headman. The word in both senses is ultimately derived from Slovenian/Slavic župan (see Zupan ). Slovenian (Špan): nickname from archaic špan ‘fellow companion’ also ‘sweetheart’ a word of German (Bavarian) origin. Czech (Špán): nickname for a thin man from špán ‘wood chip’ a dialect word of German origin (see ). Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia) (Špan): historical status name from a Slavicized form of Hungarian ispán (itself a derivative of Slavic župan; see Zupan compare 3 above) in old Hungary a title denoting the highest royal official standing at the head of the manor.7: Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname or artificial name from German Span ‘wood chip’.

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


Similar surnames: Pan, Spahn, Supan, Swan, Shan, Spann, Spang, Ban, Bean, Sand

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Span family from?

You can see how Span families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Span family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Span families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 12 Span families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Span's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Span families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Span surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Span ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Span. 33% of Span men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Span women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Span were Janitor and Laundress. .

View Census Data for Span | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    33%
  • Farmer
    24%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%
  • Janitor
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    14%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Maid
    10%
  • Laundress
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Span family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Span. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Span census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Span

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Span. 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 Span immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Span. For the veterans among your Span ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Span military records

You've only scratched the surface of Span family history

Discover More

What is the average Span lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Span life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Span in 1945 was 39, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Span

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Span family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Span last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial