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

Spade, 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 Spade surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spade in America

Spade is the 12264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spade surname appeared 2,536 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Spade.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spade 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 Spade

The surname SPADE is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates back to the medieval era in England. It is derived from the Old English word 'spada', meaning a spade or shovel, which was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with spades or shovels, such as a digger or a farmer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SPADE appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is listed as 'Spade'. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name SPADE is found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it is recorded as 'Spade'. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records that listed individuals who were required to pay a tax to the crown.

The surname SPADE may also be related to the place name 'Spaden' in Shropshire, England, which is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest surviving public record of England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One notable individual with the surname SPADE was Sir Thomas Spade, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire in the late 16th century, who lived from approximately 1540 to 1615.

Another prominent figure was John Spade, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1610 to 1670. He wrote several religious works, including "The Husbandman's Manual" and "The Poor Man's Jewel".

In the 18th century, William Spade, born in 1725, was a renowned clockmaker from London who made significant contributions to the field of horology.

The name SPADE also has connections to the Netherlands, where it is spelled as 'Spade'. One notable Dutch figure was Hendrik Spade, a 17th-century artist and engraver who was born in Amsterdam in 1628 and was known for his intricate etchings and engravings.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SPADE was John Spade, who was born in England in 1650 and later immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the late 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spade

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

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

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

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