Sprack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Sprack

What does the name Sprack mean?

The origins of the Sprack surname date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from an early member of the family who was a person who because of their physical abilities was referred to as "sprack" or "spragg." This nickname surname was used to denote those individuals who were "agile", "nimble" and "quite lively." 1 2 3

In Shakespeare's comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, he states "He is a good sprag memory," IV. i. 84. 4

Early Origins of the Sprack family

The surname Sprack was first found in Suffolk where Reginald Sprag is listed in Suffolk in 1303. This is generally considered to be the first record of the family. A few years later, Richard Sprak was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 and Alice Sprakes was listed in Somerset in 1359. 5

Early History of the Sprack family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sprack research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1620, 1632, 1645, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1673, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1720, 1725, 1919, 1944 and 1946 are included under the topic Early Sprack History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprack Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Sprack has been spelled many different ways, including Spragg, Spragge, Sprague, Sprake, Sprigg, Spriggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Sprack family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Joshua Sprigg or Sprigge (1618-1684), an English Independent theologian and preacher, chaplain to Sir Thomas FairfaxSir Edward Spragge or Spragg or Sprague (c.1620-1673) was a Royal Navy officer, an accomplished seaman who fought in many great actions after the Stuart Restoration of King Charles...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sprack Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sprack family to Ireland

Some of the Sprack family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 113 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprack migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Spracks to arrive in North America:

Sprack Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anton Sprack, who arrived in Arkansas in 1883 6

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)