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

Spangler, 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 Spangler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spangler in America

Spangler is the 1940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spangler surname appeared 18,622 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Spangler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spangler 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 Spangler

The surname Spangler is believed to have originated in Germany, where it was derived from the Middle High German word "spangen," meaning "to clasp" or "to buckle." This word was likely used as an occupational name for a maker of clasps, buckles, or other metalwork.

The earliest recorded instances of the Spangler surname can be found in German records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Spangler, who was mentioned in a document from the city of Nuremberg in 1285.

During the Middle Ages, the Spangler surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, where metalworking and craftsmanship were thriving industries. The name may have also been associated with certain place names, such as Spangenberg or Spangen, which could have contributed to its widespread use.

In the 16th century, the Spangler surname gained prominence with the birth of Cyriakus Spangenberg (1528-1604), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Gottlieb Spangenberg (1784-1833), a German botanist and explorer who contributed to the study of flora in South America.

As the Spangler family spread across Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Spängler, Spengler, and Spengler. In the Netherlands, the Dutch variant Spengler emerged, while in England, the surname was anglicized to Spangler or Spanglar.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spangler surname in England can be found in the parish records of St. Botolph's Church in Aldgate, London, where a Thomas Spangler was baptized in 1598. Later, in the 18th century, Johann Michael Spangler (1701-1756), a German immigrant to Pennsylvania, became a prominent figure in the early history of the United States, serving as a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the Spangler surname, including Ernst Spangler (1801-1859), a German-American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, and David Spangler (born 1945), an American author and philosopher known for his work in the field of metaphysics and spirituality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spangler

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

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

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

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