2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sparagna
A surname derived from the Italian word "sparagnare," meaning "to save" or "to economize."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Sparagna. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sparagna 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Sparagna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparagna, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sparagna
The surname Sparagna is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of central and southern Italy, particularly in areas like Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio.
One theory suggests that the name Sparagna is derived from the Italian word "sparagnare," which means "to save" or "to economize." This could imply that the name was initially given to someone known for their frugal or thrifty nature. Alternatively, it may have been associated with a profession or trade related to saving or preserving goods.
Another possible origin of the name Sparagna is linked to the Latin word "sparagus," which means "asparagus." This connection might indicate that the name was initially given to someone involved in the cultivation or trade of asparagus or other agricultural products.
Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals bearing the name Sparagna in various regions of Italy. One notable example is a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Siena, which includes references to a family with the surname Sparagna.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Sparagna can be traced back to the year 1299, when a certain Giovanni Sparagna was mentioned in a document from the city of Perugia. This suggests that the name was already well-established in central Italy by the late medieval period.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Sparagna:
1. Francesco Sparagna (1565-1631), an Italian painter and architect from the city of Siena, known for his contributions to the Baroque style.
2. Girolamo Sparagna (1670-1732), an Italian composer and organist active in Rome during the late Baroque period.
3. Vincenzo Sparagna (1785-1853), an Italian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
4. Giulia Sparagna (1892-1965), an Italian operatic soprano who performed in several prestigious opera houses across Europe in the early 20th century.
5. Antonio Sparagna (1918-1998), an Italian sculptor and artist known for his works in bronze and marble, with many public commissions throughout Italy.
While the surname Sparagna is not among the most common Italian surnames, it has a rich historical legacy spanning several centuries and regions of Italy, with various notable individuals contributing to various fields, including the arts, music, law, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sparagna
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparagna, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sparagna 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 Sparagna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sparagna
Sparagna 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
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,757 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-13 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 13,757 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 12,182 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 Sparagna 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 | #152,339 | -8.7% |
| Count | 119 | 106 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sparagna bearers went from 119 to 106 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 12,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #152,339.
FAQ
Sparagna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sparagna?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Sparagna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Sparagna?
Sparagna ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Sparagna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Sparagna.
Has Sparagna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sparagna went from 119 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Sparagna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparagna, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Sparagna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sparagna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Sparagna (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 Sparagna mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "sparagnare," meaning "to save" or "to economize." 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 Sparagna (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 common is the surname Sparagna?
Find out how many people are called Sparagna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.