Explore the Family Name Spears

The meaning of Spears

English and Scottish: variant of Spear, with post-medieval excrescent -s. The name has sometimes been confused with Pearse.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Spears in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Spears" has seen a slight decrease in popularity since the turn of the millennium. In 2000, it was ranked as the 785th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to 830th place, marking a decline of 5.73%. However, the raw count of individuals carrying the Spears surname increased from 40,203 in 2000 to 41,665 in 2010, indicating a growth of 3.64%. The proportion of people named Spears per 100,000 also reduced slightly over this period, from 14.9 to 14.12, recording a drop of 5.23%.

20002010Change
Rank#785#830-5.73%
Count40,20341,6653.64%
Proportion per 100k14.914.12-5.23%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spears

The Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the Spears surname. As of 2010, the majority of those with the surname identified as White (66.95%), followed by Black (26.34%). While the percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 3.72% between 2000 and 2010, there was a slight increase among those identifying as Black, up by 2.77%. The Census data also highlights increasing diversity within those carrying the Spears surname. There are notable increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, with rises of 43.75% and 62.77% respectively. Similarly, there was an increase in the proportion identifying as having two or more races (42.77%) and being American Indian and Alaskan Native (11.43%).

20002010Change
White69.54%66.95%-3.72%
Black25.63%26.34%2.77%
Two or More Races1.73%2.47%42.77%
Hispanic1.37%2.23%62.77%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.4%1.56%11.43%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.32%0.46%43.75%

Spears ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Spears is British & Irish, which comprises 55.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Nigerian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish55.6%
French & German20.4%
Nigerian4.5%
Other19.5%
Spears

Possible origins of the surname Spears

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Spears have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom83.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom82.70%
West Midlands, United Kingdom82.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom82.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom82.30%

What Spears haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Spears is I-CTS616, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-CTS616 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-Z2058 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Speer, Coulter, Spear, Olmos, Waldo, Belden, Chambers, John, Brinkman, Watkins.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Spears surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

spearsPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Spears have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Spears

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Spears" Surname 38.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Spears

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Spears" Surname 24.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Spears

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Spears" Surname 28.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Spears

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Spears" Surname 20.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Spears?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Spears are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%