SPINK
The surname Spink is of English origin, being first recorded in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word spink, which means “finch”, and was originally used as a topographic or occupational name for persons who lived near a place where finches were abundant, or who were involved in the catching or sale of such birds.
In addition to its geographical or occupational application, the name also arose as a nickname. According to traditional Anglo-Saxon practice, many surnames were formed from descriptive nicknames referencing a person’s physical attributes, habits or resemblance to an animal. In this case, the epithet may have been applied to someone who resembled a finch in the brightness of his countenance or in a pleasant singing voice, with the Old English term finc and the later Mid-English form spink indicating a particular species such as the chaffinch.
The earliest documented use of the name is found in the Chartulary of Ramsey Monastery, Bedfordshire, where a Roger Spinc appears in a record dated 1133 during the reign of King Henry I (1100‑1135). Further evidence of the surname’s antiquity is supplied by the Assize Rolls of Northumberland, which list a Thomas Spink in 1256. Additional parish registers from London record marriages of individuals bearing the surname in the seventeenth century: the union of Edmonde Spincke with Alice Madison at St. Dunstan’s, Stepney, on 5th September 1604, and that of Stephen Spink with Ann Ring at St. Katherine by the Tower on 29th October 1696.
The heraldic charges most commonly associated with the Spink family are described as follows: on a blue shield, a mascle cross argent between four eagles displayed or; the crest consists of a talbot passant gules bezantee, griled with three fusils argent. Such a device, while not universally adopted, is cited in contemporary records as being connected to the lineage in question.
Throughout history, the surname has remained distinctly tied to the British Isles, specifically to England, where it has a documented Christian background and has been maintained within English language usage. No further supposition regarding the development, variation or diaspora of the name is made beyond the verifiable evidence presented herein.
Typical given names associated with the Spink surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Emma
- Janet
- Joanne
- Julie
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Sandra
- 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 Spink in...
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There are approximately 4,214 people named Spink in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,218th most common surname in Britain. Around 65 in a million people in Britain are named Spink.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Spink
- Nigel Spink - Football player from England
- Bob Spink - Politician
- Dean Spink - Football player
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.