Spencer (surname)

For a list of persons with the surname Spencer, see List of people with surname Spencer. For a list of persons with the surnames Despencer or le Despencer, see Despencer.

Spencer
Pronunciationspènser, /ˈspɛnsər/
spEnser
Origin
Word/name
Meaningderived from the Old French "despensier", a steward
Region of originEngland
Other names
Variant form(s)Spenser, Spender, Espencer, Spence, Spens
Related namesSpeiser (German), Economos (Greek)

Spencer (also Spenser) is a surname, representing the court title dispenser, or steward. An early example is Robert d'Abbetot,[1][2][3] who is listed as Robert le Dispenser ('the steward'), a tenant-in-chief of several counties, in the Domesday Book of 1086. In early times, the surname was usually written as le Despenser, Dispenser or Despencer—notably in works such as the Domesday Book and the Scottish Ragman Rolls of 1291 and 1296, but gradually lost both the "le" article and the unstressed first syllable of the longer surname to become Spencer.

As an occupational surname, Despenser/Spencer families would have originated in a range of different jurisdictions, and the possession of the shared surname is not an indication of genealogical relationship. The surname Spencer has gained in frequency over time. In the 19th century it also become popular as a given name—especially in the more anglicised areas of the United States.

  1. ^ See Round, 2004.
  2. ^ Barlow, 1983, pp. 141–142.
  3. ^ Arthur, 1857, p. 238.