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

Spahr, 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 Spahr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spahr in America

Spahr is the 10692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spahr surname appeared 2,989 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 Spahr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spahr 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 Spahr

The surname Spahr is of German origin, derived from the German word "Spar" meaning "wood" or "timber." It is believed to have originated in the early 13th century in the region of Bavaria, where many families were involved in the timber trade or worked as foresters or woodsmen.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Spahr can be found in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1327, which refers to a person named Hans Spahr, who was a carpenter by trade. This suggests that the name was already established by that time and was associated with occupations related to woodworking.

In the 15th century, the name Spahr appeared in various records across southern Germany, including the town of Augsburg, where a family by the name of Spahr was recorded as owning a sawmill. This further reinforces the connection between the name and the timber industry.

As the Spahr family spread across other parts of Germany, the name also underwent variations in spelling, such as Spaar, Spar, and Spahr. One notable figure from this period was Johann Spahr (1498-1566), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who was born in Nuremberg and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the Spahr surname began to appear in records in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Bern, where many German immigrants had settled. One prominent figure from this time was Johann Jakob Spahr (1619-1690), a Swiss Reformed theologian and author who served as a pastor in Bern.

As the Spahr family continued to spread across Europe, they left their mark in various places. In the 18th century, a Johann Spahr (1715-1788) was a notable painter and engraver from Nuremberg, known for his landscapes and architectural drawings. Another notable figure was Johann Christoph Friedrich Spahr (1768-1838), a German philosopher and writer who lived in Berlin and published several works on ethics and aesthetics.

In the 19th century, the Spahr surname gained prominence in the United States, where many German and Swiss immigrants had settled. One notable figure from this period was Charles B. Spahr (1860-1904), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.

Overall, the surname Spahr has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages in Germany, where it was closely associated with the timber industry and woodworking professions. Over the centuries, it has spread across Europe and beyond, with various notable figures bearing this name in fields such as theology, art, philosophy, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spahr

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

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

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

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