Given name & surname
Spence
“dispenser”·“an administrator; dispenser of provisions”·“one who dispenses provisions”
In English use, Spence is a diminutive of Spencer. Interpretations include “dispenser”, “an administrator; dispenser of provisions” (English), and “one who dispenses provisions” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Spence is a diminutive of Spencer. Interpretations include “dispenser”, “an administrator; dispenser of provisions” (English), and “one who dispenses provisions” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Spence is a diminutive of Spencer. An origin associated with Spencer is English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Spence is a short form of Spencer.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1902. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Spence is a diminutive of Spencer. The history of Spencer gives this family its wider story. Spencer’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Spence through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,114
- 1,114 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 47 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +4%
- Steady
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 47 in 1970. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 906 as a first name in 2020; 35,005 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Spence’s family of names
In English usage, Spence is a diminutive of Spencer. In English usage, Spence is a short form of Spencer. Spence has a related form in Spencer.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Spence
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Spence, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Torrence
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“God is gracious”
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Bryon
Bryon is a masculine given name from Irish.
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“from the marshland”
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