This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Sprot,' Domesday (Derbyshire). For further instances, v. Sproat.

Henry Sprot, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Richard Sprot, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Simon Sprot, Bedfordshire, ibid.

John Sprot, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Agnes Sprote, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

1449. John Sprott de Surlingham, Norfolk: History of Norfolk.

1582. John Spratte and Elizabeth Wheatlye: Marriage Lic. (London).

1594. Edward Sprott or Spratt, Staffordshire: Register of the University of Oxford.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Sprot,' a Domesday personal name; v. Spratt, which is a variant.

1628. William Sproate, of Hornby: Lancashire Wills at Richmond.

1666. Henry Sprote, of Hornby, ibid.

1616. Christopher Sprote, of Tatham: ibid.

1623. Margaret Sprotte: ibid.

These last two are manifestly of one family. Their descendants are now found invariably as Sproat in Lancashire.

1733. Christopher Sproat, of Tatham: ibid.

— Susan Sproat, of Tatham: ibid.

Perhaps from Sprot, an Old English personal name, but more likely to be of Scandinavian origin (Redin, p. 8). The tradition of those bearing this name in Scotland is that their ancestors were Saxons who came into Scotland after the Norman Conquest of England. The first recorded of the name in Scotland appears to be Hugh Sprot of Ur who witnessed a charter by Eustace Baliol granting the church and lands of Hur (Urr) in 1262 to the monks of Holyrood (LSC., 81). Adam Spnit or Spr'ut was witness in Glasgow, c. 1290 (REG., p. 200). Richard Sprot of Bryset, Roxburghshire, is recorded in 1307 (Sc. Ant., V, p. 22), and Walter Sprot was tenant of Newtoun in Moffatdale, 1376 (RHM., I, p. lxii). William Sprout and John Sprout were elected lineators of Aberdeen, 1398 (CRA., p. 374), William Sprot was admitted burgess there in 1443, John Spnit in 1457, and William Sprut in 1479 (NSCM., I, p. 8, 15, 28). Robert Sprute, witness at Inuerarite, 1505 (REB., I, 222). Twelve of the name are in the Commissariot Record of Kirkcudbright between 1663-1800.

(English) the A.-Sax Sprot(a, a pers. name from sprota, m. (= Old Norse sproti), ‘a sprout’, ‘shoot’, ‘peg’ [conn. with Old English sprott = Dutch sprot = Low German sprotte, a sprat; and cp. Dutch spruit, a sprout, child] William Sprot.—Pipe-Rolls, A.D. 1250-1.

Richard Sprot.— Hundred Rolls, A.D. 1274.

(English) Descendant of Sprot (twig or small branch); one thought to possess some characteristic of a sprat (fish); dweller at the sign of the sprat.

The fish, analogous to Herring, &c.

One Sprot, perhaps a Dane, was a holder of lands in cos. Derby and York before the making of Domesday. Anglo-Saxon spreot, a spear or pike; also a germ, sprout, or sprig of anything. Comp. hastilia in the double sense of spears and sprouts in Virg. AEn. iii. 37, &c.

A probable corruption of Pratt, for Parratt, a diminutive of the French Pierre.

From the German, Sprotte; a personal name.