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

Spearman, 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 Spearman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spearman in America

Spearman is the 4330th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spearman surname appeared 8,199 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Spearman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spearman 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 Spearman

The surname Spearman has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "spere," meaning a spear or lance, and "man," referring to a person who made or carried spears.

This name likely originated among those who worked as spearmen or soldiers skilled in using spears in medieval England. It may have also been given to individuals involved in the production or trade of spears during that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spearman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Spereman is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The Spearman surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, indicating its presence in various regions of England during the medieval period.

A notable historical figure bearing this name was John Spearman (c. 1480 - c. 1545), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1529.

In the 17th century, George Spearman (1633 - 1682) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Exchequer.

Another individual of note was Sir Alexander Spearman (1758 - 1840), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Lieutenant-General.

The Spearman surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Spearman's Green in East Sussex and Spearman's Lane in Cambridgeshire, further reinforcing its historical roots in the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Scotland dates back to 1548, when Robert Spearman was mentioned in the records of Edinburgh.

Throughout history, the Spearman surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, lawyers, and tradesmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this occupational name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spearman

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

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

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

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