Explore the Family Name Spellman
The meaning of Spellman
1. English: from the early Middle English personal name Spileman, Speleman, late Old English Spilemann. Its original sense was probably ‘entertainer’ (literally ‘play-man’), corresponding to Middle High German spilmann, Middle Low German speelman (see above). However, although spile ‘play, sport, revelry’ and spilen ‘to play’ occur in Middle English, there is no evidence for a word spileman, and all the English evidence points to this surname being from the personal name rather than an occupational name. 2. Irish: in Connacht, an Anglicized form of Mac Spealáin and Ó Spealáin (see Spillane). 3. Americanized form of German Spellmann: occupational name for a musician or minstrel, from Middle Low German spel ‘play’ + man ‘man’. 4. Americanized form of German Spellmann: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine or Spellen near Wesel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Spellman in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Spellman has seen a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. This surname was ranked 4,514th in 2000 and slid to the 4,650th spot in 2010, a decrease of approximately 3.01%. However, the count of individuals with the Spellman surname increased by 5.45% during this time period, from 7,233 in 2000 to 7,627 in 2010. The proportion of people named Spellman per 100,000 also experienced a minor decrease of about 3.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,514 | #4,650 | -3.01% |
| Count | 7,233 | 7,627 | 5.45% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.68 | 2.59 | -3.36% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spellman
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the Spellman surname using the Decennial U.S. Census data, it is clear that there have been some changes between 2000 and 2010. The most common ethnic identity remains White, although its percentage decreased from 76.23% to 73.08%. Black ethnicity made up the second-largest group, increasing slightly from 20.27% to 21.54%. There was significant growth in the Hispanic category, which rose by 76.13%, albeit from a small base of 1.55% to 2.73%. The proportions of Spellmans identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races also saw increases of 55.17% and 36.50% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a smaller increase of 13.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.23% | 73.08% | -4.13% |
| Black | 20.27% | 21.54% | 6.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.73% | 76.13% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.87% | 36.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.45% | 55.17% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.29% | 0.33% | 13.79% |
Spellman 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 Spellman is British & Irish, which comprises 50.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (5.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.6% |
| French & German | 19.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 5.8% |
| Other | 23.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Spellman
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 Spellman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
What Spellman 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 Spellman is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z255 and R-L1066.1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Walsh, Murphy, Mcmahon, Morgan, Welsh, Neville, Welch, Evans, Hughes, Pepper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Spellman surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Spellman 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Spellman" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Spellman" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Spellman" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Spellman" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Spellman?
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 Spellman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition