SPICER
Spicer is a surname of English origin, situated within the broader family of surnames that arose in the British Isles during the medieval period. It belongs to the class of occupational names, a type that directly reflects the profession of the individual who first bore it.
The name derives from the Middle English term spicer, itself a loan from the Old French espicier or especier, which ultimately comes from the Latin Speciarius, an agent noun formed from species meaning spices, groceries or merchandise in general. The original sense of species was “of various kinds,” a sense that appears in the prose of Langland’s Piers Plowman of circa 1370, where a line reads “Spycers speken with hym.” The Middle English spelling spicer or spicier was used to describe a dealer in spices, a merchant of exotic goods, or, in some cases, an apothecary or druggist. Thus the surname signalled a person whose occupation involved the sale of spices or related merchandise.
The earliest documented instance of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Kent, where a William le Espicier appears in 1184, during the reign of King Richard I, the Lionheart. This attests to the antiquity of the name and its long association with the spice trade in England. By the 17th century, several individuals bearing the name had emigrated to the New World. Notably, Edward Spicer set sail from London aboard the barque David in September 1685, bound for Virginia. At least seven people named Spicer were recorded as early emigrants to North America during this period.
The persistence of Spicer as a surname reflects the historical importance of the spice trade in medieval England. Spices were luxury goods, vital to culinary, medicinal and mercantile practices, and a spice merchant would have been a person of some standing and expertise. Consequently, the occupational name has survived into the present, retained by individuals whose family histories trace back to those early merchants of exotic flavours and aromas. The spelling and usage of the name have remained remarkably stable over the centuries, a testament to its clear linguistic roots and the enduring relevance of occupational surnames in British society.
Typical given names associated with the Spicer surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- William
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Spicer in...
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There are approximately 7,182 people named Spicer in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,312th most common surname in Britain. Around 110 in a million people in Britain are named Spicer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Spicer
- Sean Spicer - American political strategist and former White House Press Secretary and Communications Director for
- Michael Spicer, Baron Spicer - Politician (1943 to 2019)
- Geoffrey Spicer-Simson - Royal Navy officer (1876 to 1947)
- Lorne Spicer - Television presenter
- John Spicer - Football Defender, Full Back
- Peter Spicer - Cricketer (1939 to 1969)
- Paul Spicer - Composer, conductor, and organist
- Eddie Spicer - Football player (1922 to 2004)
- William Spicer - United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient (1864 to 1949)
- James Spicer - Politician (1925 to 2015)
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.