2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spannuth
A variant of Spannhuth, a German surname derived from a place where wood or bark was obtained.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Spannuth. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spannuth 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Spannuth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spannuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spannuth
The surname Spannuth is believed to have originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the late Middle Ages or early modern period, around the 15th or 16th century. It is thought to be derived from an old German word "spannen" or "spann," meaning to span or stretch, possibly referring to an occupation or a physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spannuth can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. The name appears to have been concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, though it eventually spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Spannuth name was Johann Spannuth, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1628 to 1691. He was a prolific writer and authored several works on theology and natural philosophy.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Spannuth, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1799 to 1864. He was known for his intricate copperplate engravings and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Arts.
In the 19th century, Carl Spannuth, a German-American engineer and inventor, made significant contributions to the development of early telegraph systems. Born in 1822 in Saxony, he emigrated to the United States and worked closely with Samuel Morse on improving telegraph technology.
The name Spannuth also appears in historical records related to the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), a devastating conflict that ravaged parts of Central Europe. Several soldiers and military officers bearing the surname are mentioned in accounts and chronicles of the time.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Spannuth, a German composer and conductor who lived from 1856 to 1923. He was known for his operas, symphonic works, and contributions to the musical life of Berlin.
While the surname Spannuth has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, its earliest origins and historical references can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, where it emerged as a distinctive surname several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spannuth
Among Census respondents with the surname Spannuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Spannuth 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 Spannuth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.9% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spannuth
Spannuth 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,774 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-22 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,400 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,774 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 15,400 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 Spannuth 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 | #141,140 | #156,540 | -10.9% |
| Count | 118 | 96 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spannuth bearers went from 118 to 96 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 15,400 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #156,540.
FAQ
Spannuth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spannuth?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Spannuth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Spannuth?
Spannuth ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 96 people with the surname Spannuth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Spannuth.
Has Spannuth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spannuth went from 118 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 22 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Spannuth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spannuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spannuth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spannuth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.9%), Hispanic (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spannuth (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 Spannuth mean?
A variant of Spannhuth, a German surname derived from a place where wood or bark was obtained. 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 Spannuth (0.03 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 are called Spannuth?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Spannuth at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.