2000
#4,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,418
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Sparkman
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sparks, nails, or other small metal items.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,028 Americans carry the last name Sparkman. That puts it at #4,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sparkman 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 Sparkman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,695
Census rank
#4,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,001 bearers of the surname Sparkman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sparkman
The surname Sparkman has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sperc" and "man," which together mean "a man who worked with sparks or a blacksmith." The name was likely given to those whose occupation involved working with fire and metal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Sparkeman." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century and may have been even older.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is spelled "Sparkemannus." This Latin variation highlights the name's evolution and adaptation across different regions and languages.
During the 16th century, the name took on various spellings, such as "Sparkeman" and "Sparkman," reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. One notable individual from this period was John Sparkman, a merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, who was born in 1545 and died in 1612.
In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with individuals like Thomas Sparkman (1635-1692), a prominent Quaker and landowner in Gloucestershire, and William Sparkman (1650-1718), a renowned clockmaker from London.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way into various place names, such as Sparkman's Wood in Gloucestershire and Sparkman's Hill in Herefordshire, further solidifying its connection to the region.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Sparkman in later centuries were:
1. John Sparkman (1799-1855), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Guildford.
2. John Jackson Sparkman (1899-1985), an American politician and United States Senator from Alabama.
3. Sir Phillip Sparkman (1892-1976), a British diplomat and ambassador to Turkey.
4. Edith Sparkman (1909-1995), an American author and children's book writer.
5. William Sparkman (1951-2009), an American census worker who was tragically murdered in Kentucky.
While the surname Sparkman may have evolved over time, its roots remain firmly grounded in the English tradition, reflecting the occupational and geographical influences that shaped its development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sparkman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sparkman 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 Sparkman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 5,234
- Black or African American15.4% · 1,080
- Two or more races4.9% · 345
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 256
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sparkman
Sparkman 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
#4,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,607
+189 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Down 237 places
2020
#4,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,001
-606 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 2.34
Rank movement Down 224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,424 | 7,418 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,661 | 7,607 | 2.58 | +189 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 237 places |
| 2020 | #4,885 | 7,001 | 2.34 | -606 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 224 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 Sparkman 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 | #4,661 | #4,885 | -4.8% |
| Count | 7,607 | 7,001 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.58 | 2.34 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sparkman bearers went from 7,607 to 7,001 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 224 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,661 to #4,885.
FAQ
Sparkman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sparkman?
Name Census estimates that about 8,028 living Americans carry the surname Sparkman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,695 residents.
How common is Sparkman?
Sparkman ranks #4,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,001 people with the surname Sparkman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,028), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sparkman.
Has Sparkman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sparkman went from 7,607 recorded bearers to 7,001. That is a decrease of 606 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,661 to #4,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Sparkman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sparkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sparkman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (5,234 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sparkman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (15.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sparkman (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 Sparkman mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sparks, nails, or other small metal items. 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 Sparkman (2.34 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 Sparkman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Sparkman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.