Spain?

One would believe that a person named Spain actually has ancestors that came from Spain. This is, however, not always directly the case. According to Hanks and Hodges, the most likely explanation is that the acestors instead came from a place called Epaignes in Normandy. This place got its name from the fact that several Spanish people settled there during Roman days.
The second possibility is that the person's ancestors came from Espinay in Brittay. This place has nothing whatsoever to do with Spain. It has its name from the Old French word "espine" meaning thorn bush.
Hanks and Hodges concluded their article about Spain with the remark that a Spaniard could have been named Spain, but that this is quite rare.