Surname Spilsbury - Meaning and Origin
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Spilsbury: What does the surname Spilsbury mean?
The last name Spilsbury is of English origin, and is believed to be a habitational name derived from ancient villages in a few locations within England. The Spilsbury name is theorized to derive from the places called Spilsbury Heath, Spilsbury Moor and Spilsbury Fold in the county of Shropshire, which are all believed to be derived from the Old English word 'spil' or 'spill', which means 'little ridge'. There is also a Spilsbury Manor in Buckinghamshire which was a manor of the Abbey of Glastonbury, owned by the Bishop of Wells during the Middle Ages.
The Spilsbury name has become quite widespread, particularly in the county of Shropshire. It is also found in many other areas of England, including London and Devon, with numerous persons named Spilsbury appearing in records throughout the 1700s and 1800s.
The Spilsbury name is still found in England today with a number of well-known persons in the family, including the famous surgeon and anatomist Thomas Spilsbury (1810-1882) and the British Civil Servant John Spilsbury (1739 - 1812). With such a rich history, it is likely that the Spilsbury surname will continue on for many more generations.
Order DNA origin analysisSpilsbury: Where does the name Spilsbury come from?
The last name Spilsbury is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. In England, the name exists widely throughout the country, but is particularly concentrated in Lancashire and Cumbria in the North-West. Welsh population records show the name is not found in Wales.
In 2016, the name Spilsbury was the 2840th most frequent surname in the UK. It had been in decline since the mid-19th Century and only occurrs at a rate of approximately 0.004%, making it much less common than its Anglo-Saxon variant, Spilsby.
Spilsbury is also found in significant numbers in Australia, where it originates from many of the early 19th century settlers. It is the 1599th most common name in the country. In the United States, where the name has also mostly been introduced by migrants, Spilsbury is 24187th most frequent surname, though it is present at a rate of 715 people per million, more than double the rate of the UK.
Although not widespread, the last name Spilsbury today can be found across the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, and Australia.
Variations of the surname Spilsbury
The surname Spilsbury is derived from the name Spilled, which is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English words 'spille', meaning 'clearing in the woods' and 'burg', meaning 'fortified place'. It is an English topographic name for someone who lived by or in a clearing in the woods.
Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Spilesbury, Spilsburys, Splisburys, Spilksbury, Spilksberries, Spelksbury, Spelksberries, Spelkesbury, Speakesbury, Speaksburys, Spikesbury, Spikksbery, Spilsberrie, Spillbury, and Fiddlesbury.
Some other variants include Pillsbury, Pilsbury, Pylburys, Pilbsbury, Fulksbury, Fullsburys, Foulsburys, Filsbury, Fillsburys, Foulsbury, Foulksberry, Foulsberry, and Fowlesbury.
In addition, the surname may have been spelt differently when the family emigrated to other countries; for example, Spilzin in Hungary, Spilzman in Germany, Schpilshtein in Russia, Szpilska in Poland, Spilzborn in the Netherlands, and Splawinski in Austria.
The surname has also been altered over the years as a result of dialect change and typos made during registrations and records; such variants include Spilsburye, Spilsburie, Spilbry, Spilby, Spilberye, Spilbert, Spilbrery, Spilbery, Spilbreire, and Spilbray.
Famous people with the name Spilsbury
- Tom Spilsbury: Tom Spilsbury is an English actor, writer, producer, and director who is best known for his work on Doctor Who Magazine.
- Chris Spilsbury: Chris Spilsbury is a British composer and musical director. He is known for his work on various television shows such as BBC's Silent Witness and The Avengers.
- Sarah Spilsbury: Sarah Spilsbury is an English film and television actress who is best known for her roles in The Magdalene Sisters and My Summer of Love.
- Piper Spilsbury: Piper Spilsbury is a British born actress who has appeared in several television and film projects such as the BBC lectures “The Power of Belief” and the horror film “Cabin in the Woods”.
- Bob Spilsbury: Bob Spilsbury is an English sportscaster who is best known for his work as a football commentator for Sky Sports.
- Rex Spilsbury: Rex Spilsbury is an English actor, playwright, and director. He is best known for his work as a theatre director for companies such as the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Jim Spilsbury: Jim Spilsbury is an English former footballer who played most notably for Birmingham City and Tottenham Hotspur.
- Charles Spilsbury: Charles Spilsbury was the original lead singer in the British heavy metal band Saxon.
- Herbert Spilsbury: Herbert Spilsbury was an English criminal lawyer and one of the most prominent prosecutors of the early 20th century.
- Edward Spilsbury: Edward Spilsbury was a British ornithologist who wrote a number of books on bird watching.