Spencer
An occupational surname for a household steward or dispenser of provisions.
The #199 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,206 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Spencer comes from an occupational term meaning a dispenser of food or provisions, especially in a great household. It goes back through Middle English spencer/spenser to Old French despencier or dispensier, ultimately from Medieval Latin dispensarius, from Latin dispendere, meaning to weigh out or distribute. In that sense, the name originally referred to the person in charge of the buttery or larder.
History
The surname is recorded in medieval England, with forms such as le Spencer appearing in 13th-century records. It belongs to the large group of surnames taken from household offices, like Butler, Chamberlain, and Pantry-related names. The spelling Spencer became standard, though older sources also show Spenser and Despencer/Despencer.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The famous poet Edmund Spenser kept an older spelling of the name, even though Spencer became the usual family form.
From the historical record
“Henryson, The Uplandis Mous, 102-3. SPENCER "1 (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Dispenser (of SPENSER j provisions), Buttery or Larder Keeper [M.E. spencer, spenser{e, O.Fr. despencier, dispensier, L.Lat. dispensari-us ; f. Lat. dispendere, to weigh out] John le Spencer. — Hund. Rolls, A.D. 1274. Henry le Spenser. — do. Roger le…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Spencer
- Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)
- Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)
- Wallis Simpson (1896–1986)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.