2000
#15,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,761
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Glaspie
A locational surname referring to someone who dwelt near a grassy meadow or field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,033 Americans carry the last name Glaspie. That puts it at #15,818 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glaspie 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
2.0K
1 in 168,595
Census rank
#15,818
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,773 bearers of the surname Glaspie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15818th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glaspie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (30.7%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glaspie
The surname Glaspie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "glas" meaning "green" and "pie" meaning "land" or "croft," indicating that the original bearers of the name resided or owned land in a verdant, lush area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Glaspie can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, a historical record of official documents and charters, dated around 1540. This suggests that the name had already established itself in Scotland by the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, several families bearing the name Glaspie were documented in the parish records of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, two counties in the northeastern part of Scotland. This region is known for its rolling hills and fertile farmlands, which aligns with the potential meaning of the name.
Notable individuals with the surname Glaspie include John Glaspie (1715-1788), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Aberdeen. His estate, Glaspie Manor, still stands today as a historical landmark.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Glaspie (1828-1901), a Scottish author and poet known for her works depicting rural life in the Scottish Highlands. Her collection of poems, "The Heather Hills," published in 1867, received critical acclaim and brought attention to the cultural heritage of the region.
In the 19th century, the Glaspie family produced several notable clergymen, including Reverend James Glaspie (1810-1879), a minister in the Church of Scotland who served parishes in Aberdeenshire and was known for his passionate sermons and community involvement.
The name Glaspie also appeared in historical records in North America, as some families migrated from Scotland to the New World in the 18th and 19th centuries. One such individual was William Glaspie (1790-1867), a Scottish immigrant who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another notable figure was Robert Glaspie (1832-1912), a Scottish-American entrepreneur who founded the Glaspie Textile Mills in Pennsylvania, a prominent textile manufacturing company that played a significant role in the industrial development of the region.
While the surname Glaspie is not as common as some other Scottish names, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glaspie
Among Census respondents with the surname Glaspie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (30.7%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Glaspie 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 Glaspie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.6% · 1,056
- White30.7% · 544
- Two or more races6.5% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glaspie
Glaspie 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
#15,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
+149 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#15,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,773
-137 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,317 | 1,761 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,355 | 1,910 | 0.65 | +149 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #15,818 | 1,773 | 0.59 | -137 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 463 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 Glaspie 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 | #15,355 | #15,818 | -3.0% |
| Count | 1,910 | 1,773 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.59 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glaspie bearers went from 1,910 to 1,773 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 463 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,355 to #15,818.
FAQ
Glaspie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glaspie?
Name Census estimates that about 2,033 living Americans carry the surname Glaspie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,595 residents.
How common is Glaspie?
Glaspie ranks #15,818 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,773 people with the surname Glaspie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,033), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Glaspie.
Has Glaspie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glaspie went from 1,910 recorded bearers to 1,773. That is a decrease of 137 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,355 to #15,818.
What does the Census say about the background of Glaspie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glaspie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (30.7%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Glaspie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (1,056 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glaspie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.6%), White (30.7%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Glaspie (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 Glaspie mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who dwelt near a grassy meadow or field. 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 Glaspie (0.59 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 are called Glaspie?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Glaspie is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.