Speer Family History

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Speer Name Meaning

German and Dutch: from Middle High German, Middle Dutch sper ‘spear’, hence a nickname for a tall, thin person, or else for a skilled user of the hunting spear. In part it may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a maker of spears. German: nickname for someone thought to resemble a sparrow, Middle High German spar(e) ‘sparrow’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Speyer. Northern Irish: variant spelling of Speir.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Spear, Spier, Steer, Speed, Stier, Sperr, Speyer, Steuer, Saeger

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Speer Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Speer name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Speer. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    53%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    20%

  • Germanic Europe

    8%

  • Norway

    3%

  • Sweden

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Speer Family Origin

Where is the Speer family from?

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You can see how Speer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Speer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Speer families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 78 Speer families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Speer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Speer families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Speer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Speer

Speer Family Occupations

What did your Speer ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Speer family was Hotel Keeper. Farmer, Painter and Carpenter were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Speer. The most common Speer occupation in Canada was Farmer. 31% of Speer's were Farmers.

View Census data for Speer | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    31%

  • Painter

    19%

  • Carpenter

    6%

  • Hotel Keeper

    6%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Speer ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Speer Historical Records

What Speer family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 69,000 census records available for the last name Speer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Speercensus records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Speer

Passenger List

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Speer. 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 Speer immigration records

Draft Card

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Speer. For the veterans among your Speer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Speer military records

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Speer Life Expectancy

What is the average Speer lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Speer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Speer in 1941 was 45, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Speer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Speer 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.

Famous Speer Family Ancestors

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