2000
#97,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Sparenberg
A topographic surname derived from a place name referring to a sparse or barren hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 244 Americans carry the last name Sparenberg. That puts it at #92,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,404,731 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sparenberg 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
244
1 in 1,404,731
Census rank
#92,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
213
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 213 bearers of the surname Sparenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 92574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sparenberg
The surname Sparenberg originated in the northern regions of Germany during the medieval period, likely around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "spar" meaning "beam" or "rafter," and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near or on a hill or mountain with a prominent wooden structure or building.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sparenberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the year 1287. This document mentions a certain "Henricus de Sparenberg," suggesting that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the Sparenberg name appears in the records of the city of Lübeck, an important trading center in northern Germany. A merchant named Hans Sparenberg is mentioned in the city's archives from the year 1457, indicating that the name had spread to urban areas by that time.
The name Sparenberg has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Sparenberg, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1528-1594). Another notable individual was Friedrich Sparenberg, a German military officer and author who served in the Prussian army during the 18th century (1720-1787).
In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the work of Julius Sparenberg (1817-1887), a German architect and urban planner who was influential in the design of several cities in Germany and Austria. Additionally, Karl Sparenberg (1860-1932) was a German composer and music teacher who made significant contributions to the development of music education in Germany.
The Sparenberg name can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, suggesting that the name may have spread beyond its German origins over time. However, the majority of references and records indicate that the name originated in northern Germany and has maintained a strong presence in that region throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sparenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sparenberg 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 Sparenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 179
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 25
- Two or more races3.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sparenberg
Sparenberg 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+33 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 7,631 places
2020
#92,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213
+7 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,384 | 173 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +33 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 7,631 places |
| 2020 | #92,574 | 213 | 0.07 | +7 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 2,821 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 Sparenberg 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 | #89,753 | #92,574 | -3.1% |
| Count | 206 | 213 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sparenberg bearers went from 206 to 213 (+3.4% change). The surname moved down 2,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #92,574.
FAQ
Sparenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sparenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 244 living Americans carry the surname Sparenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,404,731 residents.
How common is Sparenberg?
Sparenberg ranks #92,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 213 people with the surname Sparenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (244), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Sparenberg.
Has Sparenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sparenberg went from 206 recorded bearers to 213. That is an increase of 7 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #89,753 to #92,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Sparenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Sparenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sparenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (11.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Sparenberg (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 Sparenberg mean?
A topographic surname derived from a place name referring to a sparse or barren hill. 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 Sparenberg (0.07 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 have the last name Sparenberg?
You can see how many people have the surname Sparenberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.