What does the surname Spencer mean?
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Occupational, dispenser, household steward. Middle English spenser. The spence was the household cupboard where bread and honour were portioned, the Spencer held keys between cook and lord.
Where does the Spencer family come from?
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The Spencer family is rooted in South East and East Midlands, in England. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.
Where did the Spencer family historically hold territory?
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At its greatest historical extent, the Spencer name has been concentrated in London, Birmingham & the Black Country, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire & Herefordshire and Shropshire. The atlas page distinguishes the core territory of the name from this wider historical reach with hatched silhouettes on the map.
Is Spencer a England surname?
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Yes, Spencer is a England surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is England, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Spencer surname?
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The spence was the household cupboard where bread and honour were portioned, the Spencer held keys between cook and lord. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Spencer name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Spencer family known for?
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The steward, from pantry to peerage. The spence was the household cupboard where bread and honour were portioned, the Spencer held keys between cook and lord.
What is the Spencer motto?
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The motto of the Spencer family is "Dieu défend le droit", which translates as "God defends the right". Family mottoes were registered with the chief of the name and carried on the heraldic arms and battle-banners.
What does "Dieu défend le droit" mean in English?
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"Dieu défend le droit" is the motto of the Spencer family. In English it means "God defends the right". The phrase is typically rendered in Latin, though some Highland families carry their motto in Gaelic and some Norman lines in Old French.
Who is the most famous Spencer?
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The best-known bearer of the Spencer name is Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), née Spencer. Other prominent figures of the family include Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer (b. 1964).
Who are some famous Spencers?
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Notable bearers of the Spencer name include Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), née Spencer and Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer (b. 1964). Each is profiled on the family page, with cross-links to the geography, stories, and historical events tied to their life.
What stories are told about the Spencer family?
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The Spencer family is associated with Lady Diana Spencer's wedding. Each story has its own page on this site with the full account, the date, the location, and the other families involved.
What is the story of Lady Diana Spencer's wedding?
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At twenty past eleven on the morning of Wednesday the twenty-ninth of July 1981, Lady Diana Frances Spencer, twenty years old, third daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, and Frances Roche, arrived by Glass Coach at the west door of St Paul's Cathedral, London, for her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales, thirty-two, eldest son of Elizabeth II. The wedding had been announced on the twenty-fourth of February 1981. The event is dated to 1981.
Where is the Spencer surname found today?
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England is the primary historical home of the Spencer surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same England origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Spencer family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Spencer family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name, the family motto, famous bearers of the name, traditional stories and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of England so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Spencer family today?
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The seat for the head of the Spencer family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.