2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spanswick
A locational surname denoting someone from Spanswick near Rochdale, Lancashire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Spanswick. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spanswick 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Spanswick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Spanswick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanswick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spanswick
The surname Spanswick is believed to have originated in England, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly referring to a location in Gloucestershire or Worcestershire. The name may be a combination of the Old English words "spæn," meaning "chip" or "splinter," and "wic," meaning "dwelling" or "village."
One of the earliest known records of the surname Spanswick can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, which mention a Richard de Spondeswyke. This suggests that the name was already in use in that region by the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, the spelling variations of the surname included Spondswike, Spondeswick, and Spanswick. These variations reflect the changes in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.
One notable individual with the surname Spanswick was Thomas Spanswick, who was born in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. He was a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1615.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Spanswick, born in Worcestershire around 1620. He was a Puritan minister and played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 18th century, there is a record of a Robert Spanswick, born in 1721 in Gloucestershire. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner, and his estate was mentioned in several contemporary documents.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable individual was William Spanswick, born in 1812 in Worcestershire. He was an engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of early steam engines and agricultural machinery.
Another prominent figure was Emily Spanswick, born in 1835 in Gloucestershire. She was a women's rights activist and writer, advocating for women's suffrage and education during the Victorian era.
While the surname Spanswick is not widely prevalent today, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, with a concentration in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including landowners, ministers, merchants, inventors, and activists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spanswick
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanswick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Spanswick 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 Spanswick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spanswick
Spanswick 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+13 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,690 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 3,690 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Spanswick 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spanswick bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Spanswick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spanswick?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Spanswick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Spanswick?
Spanswick ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Spanswick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Spanswick.
Has Spanswick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spanswick went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Spanswick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanswick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Spanswick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spanswick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Spanswick (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 Spanswick mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from Spanswick near Rochdale, Lancashire. 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 Spanswick (0.04 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 Spanswick?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Spanswick is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.