2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Espelage
A habitational surname denoting one from the village of Espelage in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Espelage. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espelage surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Espelage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espelage, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espelage
The surname "ESPELAGE" is of French origin, originating in the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "espelage," which referred to a type of wheat or barley, suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who was involved in the cultivation or trade of these grains.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the historic "Taille de Normandie" tax records from the 13th century, where the name appears as "Espelage." This indicates that the name was already in use among the Norman population during that time.
In the 15th century, the surname is documented in the "Registres de la Noblesse" (Registers of Nobility) from the region of Picardy, where several families bearing the name Espelage were recorded as members of the local nobility. This suggests that the name had gained prominence and was associated with a certain social status by that period.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various municipal records and church registers across northern France, with variations in spelling such as "Espelache," "Espelage," and "Espellaghe." This indicates the regional diversity and evolution of the name over time.
One notable individual with the surname Espelage was Jean-Baptiste Espelage (1675-1737), a French mathematician and astronomer who contributed significantly to the advancement of celestial navigation and the understanding of planetary motions.
Another prominent figure was Pierre Espelage (1801-1878), a French botanist and horticulturist who was renowned for his extensive work on the classification and cultivation of ornamental plants.
In the 19th century, the surname Espelage gained recognition through the artistic contributions of Marie-Antoinette Espelage (1820-1896), a celebrated French painter and illustrator whose works were widely exhibited and acclaimed during her lifetime.
Furthermore, the name is associated with the historical town of Espelage-Monplaisir, a small commune located in the Haute-Saône department of northeastern France. It is possible that the surname originated from or was influenced by this place name, although the exact connection remains uncertain.
Throughout its history, the surname Espelage has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and nobility, reflecting its enduring presence and significance within French cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espelage
Among Census respondents with the surname Espelage, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Espelage bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Espelage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espelage
Espelage appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,470 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,470 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Espelage surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espelage bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Espelage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espelage?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Espelage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Espelage?
Espelage ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Espelage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Espelage.
Has Espelage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espelage went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Espelage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espelage, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Espelage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espelage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Espelage (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Espelage mean?
A habitational surname denoting one from the village of Espelage in France. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Espelage (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Espelage?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.