Find out how popular the last name Sparks is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sparks.

Sparks, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sparks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sparks in America

Sparks is the 533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sparks surname appeared 63,440 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 22 people would have the surname Sparks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sparks to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sparks

The surname Sparks has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It derived from an occupational name for someone who worked as a smith or maker of sparks. The name likely came from the Old English word "spearhawoc," which referred to a sparrowhawk, a small hawk known for its agility and speed in hunting.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where one Robert Sparke was mentioned. Another early record was in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1317, which referenced a William Spark.

During the Middle Ages, the Sparks surname was particularly prominent in the counties of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire. The place name "Sparken" in Derbyshire may have influenced the surname's spelling variations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Sparks include:

1. Jared Sparks (1789-1866), an American historian, educator, and editor who served as the president of Harvard University.
2. Sir Tobie Matthew Sparks (1828-1898), a British diplomat and courtier during the reign of Queen Victoria.
3. John Sparks (1632-1705), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.
4. William Sparks (1570-1642), an English theologian and author of the book "A Recovering for the Schisme" published in 1617.
5. Edward Sparks (1685-1756), an English clockmaker who established a successful business in London during the early 18th century.

The surname Sparks can be found in various historical records, including parish registers, court rolls, and tax records from medieval and early modern England. However, it is important to note that the spelling of surnames was not standardized until much later, leading to numerous variations such as Spark, Sparke, and Sparkes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sparks

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sparks.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sparks was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sparks has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sparks was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sparks, please contact us.

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