Holding steady.
Popularity of Spence since 1902
Babies named Spence per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1970, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Spence's real moment was 1902.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 43 |
| 1920s | 43 |
| 1930s | 47 |
| 1940s | 81 |
| 1950s | 97 |
| 1960s | 134 |
| 1970s | 187 |
| 1980s | 137 |
| 1990s | 118 |
| 2000s | 125 |
| 2010s | 64 |
| 2020s | 33 |
Meaning & origin
Spence has been in use as a given name since at least 1902, when it was first recorded in U.S. Social Security data, but it has never ranked among the top 1000 names. The name is a diminutive of Spencer, a surname that originated as an occupational title for a household steward. Spence reached its peak popularity in 1902, the same year it debuted, and has since maintained a stable but extremely low frequency of use. This rarity makes it a distinctive choice for parents seeking an underused name with a vintage feel. While it has occasionally been used for girls, Spence remains predominantly a boy's name, consistently recorded for males in the Social Security data.
Spence originated as a short form of the surname Spencer, which itself derives from the Middle English 'spenser', meaning 'steward' or 'butler'. The name Spencer was an occupational name for someone who managed the pantry or storehouse in a medieval household. Spence began as a nickname and later became an independent given name, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Spennie
Sibling names for Spence
Names that share Spence's style, for a brother or sister.
