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

Spaven, 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 Spaven surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spaven in America

Spaven is the 154907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spaven surname appeared 105 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spaven.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spaven 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 Spaven

The surname Spaven originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English word "spæren," which means "to fasten or bar." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a maker or seller of bars or fasteners for doors, gates, or other structures.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Spaven can be found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1275, where a certain Adam Spaven is mentioned as a resident of the village of Wakefield. The name also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is recorded as "Spaueyn."

In the 16th century, the Spaven family seemed to have established a presence in the town of Burnley, Lancashire. The Burnley Parish Registers from 1593 contain entries for several Spaven individuals, including John Spaven, who was born in 1598.

A notable figure in the history of the Spaven surname was Richard Spaven, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Clapham, Yorkshire, in the late 17th century. He was born in 1652 and died in 1719. His will, dated 1718, mentions his extensive land holdings and bequests to his family members.

Another prominent Spaven was William Spaven, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of York in the early 18th century. He was born in 1685 and died in 1758. Records show that he was involved in the wool trade and had business dealings with merchants in other parts of England and Europe.

In the 19th century, the Spaven family had members who migrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One such individual was Thomas Spaven, who was born in Yorkshire in 1812 and later settled in Glasgow, Scotland, where he worked as a blacksmith. He died in 1879.

Another notable Spaven was Elizabeth Spaven, a teacher and author who was born in Lancashire in 1845. She wrote several books on education and pedagogy, including "The Principles of Teaching" (1884) and "Methods in Teaching" (1892). She died in 1912.

While the surname Spaven is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with various professions and notable individuals over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spaven

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

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 Spaven 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 Spaven 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 Spaven was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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