2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sparbel
A Germanic surname derived from the Old German "sparbeln" meaning to save or spare.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Sparbel. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sparbel 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Sparbel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sparbel
The surname SPARBEL has its roots in Germany, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "sparwen," meaning "sparrow," and the suffix "-bel," which is a diminutive form. This indicates that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a connection to sparrows, such as a bird catcher or someone with a physical resemblance to the bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPARBEL can be found in the Stadtbücher (town records) of Nuremberg, where a Heinrich Sparbel was mentioned in 1375. Another early reference comes from the Würzburger Lehensbuch (Würzburg feudal registry) of 1397, which lists a Hans Sparbel as a tenant farmer.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents throughout southern Germany. A notable individual from this time was Konrad Sparbel (1492-1564), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Nuremberg. He was a vocal critic of the Catholic Church and played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in the region.
During the 17th century, the SPARBEL name gained prominence in the Palatinate region of Germany. A prominent figure was Johann Sparbel (1611-1678), a Palatine military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War. He rose to the rank of colonel and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the conflict.
As the name spread beyond its original German heartland, it also appeared in other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a Dutch branch of the family emerged, with one of the earliest recorded members being Pieter Sparbel (1732-1801), a merchant from Amsterdam.
Another notable figure was Karl Sparbel (1805-1879), a Prussian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century. He was a vocal advocate for legal reforms and civil rights during his time in office.
While the SPARBEL surname is not among the most common in Germany or elsewhere, it has left its mark on history through the achievements of various individuals who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sparbel
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sparbel 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 Sparbel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sparbel
Sparbel 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,034 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-10 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,370 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 18,034 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 8,370 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 Sparbel 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 | #145,220 | #153,590 | -5.8% |
| Count | 114 | 104 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sparbel bearers went from 114 to 104 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 8,370 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #153,590.
FAQ
Sparbel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sparbel?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Sparbel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Sparbel?
Sparbel ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Sparbel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Sparbel.
Has Sparbel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sparbel went from 114 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Sparbel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sparbel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sparbel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sparbel (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 Sparbel mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the Old German "sparbeln" meaning to save or spare. 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 Sparbel (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 common is the surname Sparbel?
Want to know how many people have the last name Sparbel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.