2000
#34,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Spader
A German occupational surname derived from the German word "spaten," meaning spade or shovel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 716 Americans carry the last name Spader. That puts it at #38,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 478,707 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spader 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
716
1 in 478,707
Census rank
#38,228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
624
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 624 bearers of the surname Spader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spader, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spader
The surname Spader is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It likely dates back to the 12th or 13th century and is derived from the German word "spat," meaning "late" or "tardy." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was habitually late or slow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spader can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around the 14th century. The name is also mentioned in various municipal records and guild registers from cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg during the late Middle Ages.
The Spader surname has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Spader, Spader, Spader, and Spader. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the individual preferences of scribes and record-keepers.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Hans Spader (1495-1572) was a prominent goldsmith and engraver in Nuremberg. His works were highly regarded and can be found in various collections across Europe.
Another notable individual bearing the Spader surname was Johann Spader (1617-1679), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in Augsburg. His compositions, primarily sacred works for the church, were widely performed during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a merchant named Jakob Spader (1723-1798) from Regensburg made a significant contribution to the local economy by establishing a successful trading company that exported goods throughout Europe.
During the 19th century, a German-American named Wilhelm Spader (1819-1892) immigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the St. Louis community. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, contributing to the establishment of several educational institutions and cultural organizations.
Another notable figure with the Spader surname was Marie Spader (1865-1942), a German writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and advocated for social reforms during the early 20th century.
While the Spader surname has roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Bavaria, where it likely began as a descriptive nickname before becoming an established surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spader
Among Census respondents with the surname Spader, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Spader 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 Spader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 581
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 22
- Two or more races2.6% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spader
Spader 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
#36,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
-7 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,979 places
2020
#38,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 624
+16 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,757 | 615 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,736 | 608 | 0.21 | -7 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 1,979 places |
| 2020 | #38,228 | 624 | 0.21 | +16 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 1,492 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 Spader 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 | #36,736 | #38,228 | -4.1% |
| Count | 608 | 624 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spader bearers went from 608 to 624 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 1,492 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,736 to #38,228.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Spader
FAQ
Spader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spader?
Name Census estimates that about 716 living Americans carry the surname Spader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 478,707 residents.
How common is Spader?
Spader ranks #38,228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 624 people with the surname Spader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (716), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Spader.
Has Spader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spader went from 608 recorded bearers to 624. That is an increase of 16 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,736 to #38,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Spader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spader, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Spader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Spader (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 Spader mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the German word "spaten," meaning spade or shovel. 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 Spader (0.21 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 have the last name Spader?
Find out how many people have the last name Spader on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.