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

Spaan, 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 Spaan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spaan in America

Spaan is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spaan surname appeared 161 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 Spaan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spaan 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 Spaan

The surname SPAAN originated in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages, specifically in the regions of Holland and Friesland. It is derived from the Dutch word "spaan," which means "chip" or "splinter," suggesting a possible connection to occupations involving woodworking or carpentry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPAAN can be found in the Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland, a collection of historical documents from the 14th century. In this manuscript, a certain "Ghiselbrecht die Spaan" is mentioned as a resident of the city of Leiden in 1376.

During the 16th century, the name SPAAN appeared in various Dutch records, including the census of the city of Amsterdam in 1564, which listed a "Jan Spaan" as a master carpenter. This supports the theory that the name was associated with woodworking professions.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname SPAAN was Jacob Spaan (1615-1670), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and architectural paintings. His works can be found in museums across the Netherlands and Europe.

Another prominent individual with the SPAAN surname was Cornelis Spaan (1751-1827), a Dutch politician and statesman who served as the mayor of Amsterdam from 1808 to 1827. He played a significant role in the city's governance during the turbulent period of the Napoleonic Wars.

The name SPAAN also has connections to place names in the Netherlands. For instance, the village of Spaarnwoude, located near Haarlem, is derived from the combination of the words "spaan" (splinter) and "woude" (forest), potentially indicating a historical connection to the name's origins.

Other notable individuals with the SPAAN surname include:

1. Gerrit Spaan (1901-1988), a Dutch politician and member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II.
2. Marinus Spaan (1899-1996), a Dutch sculptor known for his monumental works and religious sculptures.
3. Jacobus Spaan (1643-1720), a Dutch Golden Age painter and etcher, known for his genre scenes and landscapes.
4. Jan Spaan (1921-2010), a Dutch footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Ajax Amsterdam and the Netherlands national team.
5. Hendrick Spaan (1619-1680), a Dutch Golden Age painter and draftsman, known for his landscapes and architectural drawings.

The surname SPAAN has a rich history rooted in the Netherlands, with connections to occupations, place names, and notable figures in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spaan

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

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 Spaan 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 Spaan 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 Spaan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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