Spence Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Spence Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Spence

The ancient history of the name Spence was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. Spence is an occupational name meaning 'a house steward', from a servant of a great house. Variants include Spencer, Spens, Spenser, Despenser, Spender and Spenster. This name is of Anglo-Celtic origin and is found throughout England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries. Examples of such are a John le Spenser, of Southhampton, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Thomas Spenser was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379. Spens was the name of a great Scottish family who are descended from the Earls of Fife. They became known as Von Boden, and were granted the title Reichsfreiherr of the Kingdom of Bohemia in the year 1781. The great Spencer family descend from William the Conqueror's Steward, Robert Despencer, and later they became prosperous from sheep farming in Northants. Some bearers of this name in Ireland are originally of the Scottish clan MacDuff.