Sarah Sparks, MYP3

*Sparks Family History

*Why do we have last names? In 1538, Henry VIII, the current King of England, ruled that each head of a family must occupy a surname for himself and his family, and that all births, deaths and marriages be recorded in the registry in the parish in which the family lived.

*Where does the name Sparks originate from?

The surname Sparks originated as a nickname from the word Sparrowhawk. It comes from the old Anglo-Saxton culture that ruled the majority of Britain in the 5th to 9th century.

Sparrowhawk was shortened to Sparhawk, which was then shortened to Spark. The last change was adding the S. This change came about as a result of adding the possessive.

*What is Sparrowhawk?The sparrow hawk is a small falcon found in the British Isles. These birds were often used in the sport of falconry, where birds were trained to attack other birds and carry them back to their owners.

The sparrow hawk is 11 to 12 inches long, but despite it’s size, this ancient bird has been described as bold and active, and is also known for it’s courage – Sparrow Hawks would attack other birds twice their size for food. These birds are said to have a recklessness about them, yet they are also shy.

*Who was the first in the family?Tracing back to the first person in the Sparks, or Sparrowhawk family (also spelled Spearhafoc in the Anglo-Saxon language), you would find that a monk, named Sparrowhawk, of Bury St. Edmunds who soon became Abbot of Abington, was the only known first person on record with this name.

Sparrowhawk was appointed the Bishopric of London by Edward the Confessor in 1050, but was never consecrated because of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resistance. However, he did occupy the bishopric with the king’s permission for two seasons until he was expelled.

*Sparks Family Crest

Celer et Verus means Swift and True.

*Celebrities with my last name

• Chauncey Sparks – Governor of Alabama from 1943-1947.

• Dana Sparks – American television actress.

• Nicholas Sparks – International bestselling American author.

• Phillippi Sparks – New York Giants Cornerback for eight seasons.

• Jordin Sparks – Season Six American Idol Winner

*Sources

• http://sparksgenealogy.net/coatarms.html

• http://sparksfamilyassociation.net

• http://www.houseofnames.com/sparks-family-crest

• http://sparksfamilytree.net/familytree/index.html