2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Spealman
An occupational surname likely referring to one who worked as a scribe or clerk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Spealman. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spealman 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Spealman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spealman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spealman
The surname SPEALMAN is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "spelman" which means "storyteller" or "minstrel". This occupational name was likely given to those who earned their living as entertainers, singers, or musicians during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instance of the SPEALMAN surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Spelleman" in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name originated in this region of England and gradually spread to other parts of the country over time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Spellman", "Spelman", and "Spellemon". These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during that era.
One notable example of the SPEALMAN name is John Spelman (1594-1668), an English antiquary and writer who authored works on the history and antiquities of his native county of Norfolk. Another distinguished bearer of this surname was Sir Henry Spelman (1564-1641), an English antiquary and member of Parliament.
In the 16th century, the SPEALMAN surname was found in the parish records of Oxfordshire, where a family of that name resided in the village of Bampton. One member of this family, Richard Spealman (1528-1601), was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of a local church.
During the 17th century, the SPEALMAN name appeared in the records of the City of London, where several individuals with this surname were registered as merchants and tradesmen. One such individual was Robert Spealman (1620-1678), a successful merchant who owned properties in the city.
In the 18th century, the SPEALMAN surname was present in the parish records of various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable figure from this period was William Spealman (1701-1773), a wealthy landowner and magistrate from the county of Yorkshire.
Throughout its history, the SPEALMAN surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spealman
Among Census respondents with the surname Spealman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Spealman 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 Spealman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spealman
Spealman 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-36 bearers (-25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 40,055 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -36 bearers (-25.5%) | Down 40,055 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Spealman 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spealman bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Spealman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spealman?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Spealman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Spealman?
Spealman ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Spealman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Spealman.
Has Spealman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spealman went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Spealman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spealman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Spealman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spealman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Spealman (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 Spealman mean?
An occupational surname likely referring to one who worked as a scribe or clerk. 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 Spealman (0.04 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 Spealman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Spealman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.