Surname Sperrin - Meaning and Origin

Sperrin: What does the surname Sperrin mean?

The last name Sperrin is a surname of Irish origin that comes from the Gaelic language. It is derived from the Irish word “sparán”, meaning “pin” or “brooch”, and could be a reference to the ancient tradition of wearing a metal pin or brooch as a sign of nobility and status in Irish culture. As a result, it is likely that those with the Sperrin surname originally hailed from an old Irish noble family.

An alternative meaning of the word “sparán” is “a water-meadow” or “a hillock”, suggesting that the Sperrin surname related to a family who lived in an area close to or near a hill or a grassy meadow. It is also worth noting that the Sperrin Mountains which stretch across County Tyrone in Northern Ireland may also be connected to this surname, as the Sperrin family could have come from the area.

The Sperrin surname is likely to have been adopted by the family at an early point in history. Today, it is an uncommon surname, with people of the Sperrin surname mainly gathered in Northern Ireland and parts of the USA. As the history of the Sperrin family is so closely intertwined with the area of the Sperrin Mountains, those of the Sperrin surname can trace their ancestry to the region.

Sperrin: Where does the name Sperrin come from?

The last name Sperrin is typically found in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. It is an anglicized variation of the Irish Sceimhpeirín or the Scottish Mac an Speráin. The Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, are another source of the surname.

In the UK, Sperrin is most commonly seen in England and Scotland. It is also found in several parts of Wales. Online genealogy records suggest it is a rare name in comparison with other British surnames. There are around 500 individuals living today in the UK who carry the last name.

In Ireland, the surname is mostly found in the province of Ulster. It is most likely due to the high concentration of native Irish speakers in Ulster, as well as the fact that Mac an Speráin and its anglicized variants were borne in Ulster.

In the United States, the name Sperrin is common in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Florida, and California. Of these states, Pennsylvania has the highest concentration of individuals with this surname, at over 1,000 people.

Overall, the name Sperrin is scarce internationally but more common in certain areas of the UK, Ireland, and the United States.

Variations of the surname Sperrin

The surname Sperrin has Irish and Scottish origins. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Sperrin include:

• Speran

• Sperin

• Spurrin

• Sperrien

• Spurrier

• Sparrin

• Sparrington

• Sparron

• Sparen

• Sperrais

• Sparring

• Sperrins

• Sperrinck

• Sperring

• Sparking

• Sperran

• Spacy

• Spering

• Sperringer

• Sperranne

• Sparling

• Sperrani

• Sparmann

• Speringer

• Sparrin

• Sparman

• Sperren

• Sperringen

• Sparr

• Sperry

• Sperrine.

Sperrin is a name from the Gaelic tradition. It is derived from the term 'sparran', which means 'a ridge'. This could refer to a ridge of land or a distinctive feature. This surname could also be of English, Welsh, or Dutch origin, but was mainly used in Ireland and Scotland.

Sperrin is an old Irish and Scottish surname, and variants are found in Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States. Commonly found variants include MacSparran, MacSpeerin, MacSpearin, Sparran, and Speerin. This surname is most commonly found in the north and west of Ireland, and in Scotland. It is occasionally seen in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Sperrin surname is also found in records of other types of surnames, such as Sparling, Sparking, Sperry, and Sperringer. These are all derived from the same root as Sperrin.

Famous people with the name Sperrin

• Gervais Sperrin Walsh: Former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Senator from 2001 to 2011.
• Lee Sperrin: Former professional rugby league footballer from 1991 to 2000.
• Ben Sperrin: Professional BMX rider for Colony BMX.
• Rod Sperrin: Former English cricketer who played 13 first-class games for Essex County Cricket Club in 1994.
• William Sperrin: Former Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
• Sarah Sperrin: English professional basketball player who currently plays for Leicester Riders in the WBBL.
• Lawrence Sperrin: Mathematical physicist who specialized in the field of non-linear dynamics and chaos theory.
• Rear Admiral William Sperrin: Former British Senior Naval Officer who served in the Royal Navy and Minister of State for Defence in the mid-20th century.

Other surnames

SperringSperringsSperrinkSperrinsSperrlingSperry