Find out how popular the last name Esponge is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Esponge.

Esponge, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Esponge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esponge in America

Esponge is the 105600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esponge surname appeared 169 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Esponge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esponge to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Esponge

The surname "ESPONGE" has its origins traced back to the Normandy region of northern France in the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "esponge," which means "sponge." This word was likely used as a descriptive surname for someone who worked with sponges or who may have had a physical resemblance to a sponge.

Records show that the name first appeared in the Duchy of Normandy during the reign of William the Conqueror (1028-1087). It is possible that the name was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families settled in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "ESPONGE" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror to record landholdings in England. This suggests that individuals with this surname were present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a man named Robert ESPONGE was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, an administrative record of taxes and legal proceedings. Another early record comes from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a Richard ESPONGE was mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the name "ESPONGE" may have also been associated with places like Spondon, a village in Derbyshire, England. Variations in spelling, such as "Spondon" or "Sponden," were common during this period, and some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.

One notable individual with the surname "ESPONGE" was Sir John ESPONGE (1450-1519), a English knight and landowner from Nottinghamshire. Another prominent figure was Elizabeth ESPONGE (1510-1578), a wealthy heiress and patron of the arts from Essex.

In the 17th century, a merchant named William ESPONGE (1620-1689) was involved in the East India Company trade and amassed a considerable fortune. Another individual, Thomas ESPONGE (1675-1741), was a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname "ESPONGE" throughout history, showcasing the name's longevity and varied backgrounds of those who bore it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esponge

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Esponge.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Esponge was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Esponge has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Esponge was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Esponge, please contact us.

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