Surname Spieringa - Meaning and Origin
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Spieringa: What does the surname Spieringa mean?
The last name Spieringa is an Dutch patronymic surname derived from the personal name Sperrings, which is derived from the Middle Dutch word sperreghe meaning “clamp” or “barrier”. Sperrings was an occupational name for someone who made or traded goods related to barrows, clamps, or gates. The word sperringa eventually evolved into the surname Spieringa.
The Spieringa surname can be found primarily in the Frisian province of Friesland in the Netherlands, though the name can be found in other parts of the Netherlands, as well as in other countries with strong Dutch emigrant populations, such as the United States and Canada.
In the U.S., the Spieringa surname has appeared in Census records starting in 1790, when there were seven Spieringas living in New York. The surname has seen steady growth in the U.S., particularly in California, Michigan, and Illinois.
While the origin and meaning of the Spieringa surname is clear, its original bearer is likely lost to history. It is impossible to know what motivated Sperrings to take this surname, or why it evolved into its modern spelling. Nonetheless, the Spieringa surname has endured over the centuries, and countless descendants of Sperrings bear this name today.
Order DNA origin analysisSpieringa: Where does the name Spieringa come from?
The last name Spieringa is primarily found in the Netherlands today. Dutch records show that the name originated in the Dutch region of Friesland in the late 19th century, although it is possible the name's roots trace back much farther. It is also found in other countries in Europe, including Germany, Belgium, and Denmark.
In the Netherlands, Spieringa is most-commonly found in the provices of Friesland and Groningen. The name's occurrence in these two provinces largely corresponds with the significant amount of Dutch immigration to the United States in the 19th century, as it is believed many Spieringa families settled in the Midwest and the Western United States.
Spieringa is a very uncommon surname in the United States today. The Ancestry.com database has less than 500 individuals with the name Spieringa living in the United States currently. Most are spread throughout the Midwest and West, although there are a few concentrated populations in the Northeast and Southwest.
The name Spieringa is an uncommon surname, but it is still present in the Netherlands and in a few pockets within the United States. It is possible the name will become more common in the United States in the coming years, as many of its original settlers in the 19th century are now having descendants search for information about their ancestry.
Variations of the surname Spieringa
The surname Spieringa is of Dutch origin and is a variant of the more common surname 'Spiering'. In Dutch, the ending -a or -s can indicate a patronymic, which is a surname derived from a male ancestor's given name. Alternative spellings include 'Speering', 'Speerink', 'Spierink', 'Spierings', 'Speerings', 'Speeringa', and 'Spieringhuis'.
In the Netherlands, the most common surnames incorporating the root 'Spiering' are 'Sprenger', 'Spierings', 'Spiering', 'Spierink', 'Spieringshans', and 'Spieringa'. In the US, the most common variants are 'Spandorfer', 'Speering', 'Spiering', and 'Speer'.
Sprenger is widely distinguished as a separate surname today, although variants are still found. The variation in spelling and surname variations seem to have arisen simultaneously as variants of each other. As Dutch surnames were adopted into other languages, pronunciation and spelling changed over time, resulting in 'Spieringa' variants such as 'Spanderfor', 'Speering', 'Speerings', and 'Spierings'.
Speerings is another variant of 'Spieringa' used primarily in the Netherlands. It originates from a Dutch term which means 'to live in rags'. The surname is derived from an Old Dutch term meaning 'miserly'. This variant was used by lower-class families who were not able to afford finery or quality clothing. A variant of 'Speerings' in the US is 'Spearing'.
Other variants include 'Speerink', a combination of 'speer' meaning 'lance' or 'halberd', and 'ink', meaning 'family' or 'kin'. This is likely derived from some ancestral connection or shared heritage with warriors. 'Spieringhuis', which combines 'spiering' with the Dutch word for 'house', is likely a variation from people who originally lived in a house with 'spiering' as part of its name.
In short, the surname Spieringa is the Dutch patronymic form of the more common surname Spiering and has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include 'Sprenger', 'Speering', 'Spierink', 'Speerings', 'Speeringa', 'Spieringhuis', 'Spanderfor', 'Speer', and 'Speerings'.
Famous people with the name Spieringa
- Jeroen Spieringa: Jeroen is a Dutch entrepreneur in the digital health industry and works in corporate innovation.
- Gert Jan Spieringa: Gert Jan is a Dutch TV presenter, radio host, writer, and singer.
- Roos Spieringa: Roos is a Dutch artist and illustrator.
- Tom Spieringa: Tom is a Dutch entrepreneur and founder of Drum World and co-founder of Bureau Heroes.
- Clara Spieringa: Clara is a Dutch art historian, museum consultant, and lecturer.
- Johan Spieringa: Johan is a Dutch entrepreneur and investor in the digital health sector.
- Greogry Spieringa: Greogry is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers.
- Elles Spieringa: Elles is a Dutch professional triathlete and philanthropist.
- Wopke Spieringa: Wopke is a Dutch actor, writer, and director known for his work on web-series Don't Shoot the Messenger.
- Willem Spieringa: Willem is a Dutch cellist, composer, and arranger.