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

Spann, 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 Spann surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spann in America

Spann is the 2882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spann surname appeared 12,457 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Spann.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spann 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 Spann

The surname Spann has its origins in Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "spann," which means "a span" or "a measure of length." The name is thought to have been initially applied as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a measurer or surveyor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spann can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a compilation of historical records from the city-state of Bremen, in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name Spann appeared in the records of the city of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), where a certain Hans Spann was listed as a landowner. Another notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Spann, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 16th century (1535-1586).

During the 17th century, the surname Spann was found in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria and Württemberg. One notable figure from this period was Georg Spann (1619-1680), a German theologian and author.

In the 18th century, the name Spann was associated with several notable individuals, including Johann Michael Spann (1718-1784), a German engraver and artist, and Johann Philipp Spann (1744-1810), a German composer and organist.

Another significant figure with the surname Spann was Othmar Spann (1878-1950), an Austrian philosopher and economist who was a leading proponent of the theory of universalism and the concept of the "true state."

Throughout history, the surname Spann has been spelled in various ways, such as Spann, Spanne, and Spann. It has also been associated with several place names, such as Spannberg and Spannheim, which were likely derived from the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spann

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

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

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

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