SPEIRS
Speirs is a surname of both English and Scottish provenance, the latter being more historically prominent on the British Isles. The name is recorded in medieval documents as early as 1185 and remains in use today in England, Scotland and Germany.
The occupational origin of the name is evident in its derivation from the Old English word spere, meaning “spear”. In the Norman and early Medieval periods it would have been applied to a person who manufactured or wielded spears, or, alternately, to a tall, thin individual whose stature resembled that of a spear.
Over time the surname produced a multiplicity of spellings, including Spear, Speare, Speer, Speir, Spier and their plural forms such as Spears, Speares. Patronymic derivatives such as Spearman and Speerman also appear in the historical record.
Recorded instances in medieval England include a Henry Spere in Lancashire in 1246, a Robertus Spyer in the 1379 Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire, and an Annes Speere christened at St. Giles Cripplegate, London, on 1 March 1591. Earlier, a Walter Speare is found in the pipe rolls of Somerset dated 1185, during the reign of King Henry XI, the architect of churches.
During the seventeenth century the name crossed the Atlantic with emigrants to the New England colonies. The earliest cohort recorded in the British Isles includes Elizabeth Speere, aged 20, who departed London aboard the ship “Mathew” on 21 May 1635.
The heraldic badge attributed to the Speirs family comprises a silver field, a thistle with three heads, stalked and leaved in green, bearing a red flower. The crest features a dolphin in a rising position.
While the name retains its strongest association with Scotland, it is now found in roughly equal numbers in England and Germany. The branching of the surname into different dialects and regional languages has spread its presence across the continent, reflecting the diversity of spellings long before modern standardisation of surnames.
Typical given names associated with the Speirs surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- James
- John
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Dawn
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jane
- Jean
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Spear
- Spiers
- Speer
- Spier
- Spire
- Speares
- Speare
- Spar
- Spars
- Spares
- Spair
- Speris
- Speir
- Cipres
- Cipressi
- Cyprus
- Cyprys
- Sapers
- Siaperas
- Souppouris
- Spahr
- Sparace
- Spare
- Sparr
- Sparrows
- Speair
- Spears
- Speary
- Speere
- Speers
- Speery
- Spehr
- Speier
- Speires
- Speiro
- Speis
- Sper
- Spera
- Sperd
- Speres
- Speri
- Sperke
- Sperks
- Sperl
- Spero
- Speros
- Sperow
- Sperr
- Sperry
- Spers
- Speyers
- Spiars
- Spiere
- Spieres
- Spiero
- Spiert
- Spir
- Spira
- Spires
- Spirey
- Spiri
- Spirk
- Spirks
- Spiro
- Spiros
- Spirou
- Spirs
- Spiry
- Spoor
- Spoores
- Spoors
- Spor
- Spore
- Spores
- Sporis
- Sporr
- Spors
- Sporysz
- Spour
- Spours
- Spowers
- Sprice
- Sprous
- Sprouse
- Spruce
- Spur
- Spure
- Spurr
- Spurrs
- Spurs
- Spyer
- Spyers
- Spyris
- Spyros
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Speirs in...
Braille
⠎⠏⠑⠊⠗⠎
Morse
....--.....-....
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,789 people named Speirs in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,457th most common surname in Britain. Around 58 in a million people in Britain are named Speirs.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Speirs
- Steve Speirs - Welsh actor
- Gardner Speirs - Scottish football player and manager
- Louis Moritz Speirs - Scottish rugby union player (1885 to 1949)
- David Speirs - Australian politician
- Neil Speirs - Lawn bowler
- Jimmy Speirs - Football player and soldier (1886 to 1917)
- Annie Speirs - Swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, former world record-holder (1889 to 1926)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.