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

Spady, 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 Spady surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spady in America

Spady is the 18529th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spady surname appeared 1,489 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 Spady.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spady 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 Spady

The surname Spady has its origins in England, tracing back to the early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "spade," referring to the agricultural tool, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname given to those who worked with spades or were involved in farming activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spady can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1273, which mentions a John Spade. This document provides valuable evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period.

The name Spady has also been associated with various place names, such as Spadeoak in Buckinghamshire and Spadeadam in Cumbria. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Spady, Spadie, and Spadey.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Spady throughout history, one can mention:

1. Edward Spady (1590-1662), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company, who played a significant role in the early colonization of Virginia.

2. Josephine Spady (1839-1920), an American educator and pioneer in the field of education for African Americans. She founded the Spady Normal and Industrial Institute in Kansas.

3. William Spady (1925-2008), an American educator and author, known for his contributions to the development of outcome-based education and the concept of "transformational outcomes."

4. James Spady (1788-1861), an American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina from 1823 to 1825.

5. Evangeline Spady (1873-1962), an American opera singer and vocal teacher, recognized for her performances in the United States and Europe during the early 20th century.

While the surname Spady may have evolved over time and taken on various spellings, its origins can be traced back to the English countryside, where it likely emerged as an occupational surname reflecting the agricultural way of life during the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spady

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

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

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

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