 In early times the surname was usually written as "le Despenser", "Dispenser" or "Despencer"—notably in works such as the Domesday Book and the Scottish Ragman Rolls of 1291 and 1296, but gradually lost both the "le" article and the unstressed first syllable of the longer surname to become Spencer.As an occupational surname, Despenser/Spencer families would have originated in a range of different jurisdictions, and the possession of the shared surname is not an indication of genealogical relationship.The surname Spencer has gained in frequency over time.