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

Spears, 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 Spears surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spears in America

Spears is the 830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spears surname appeared 41,665 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Spears.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spears 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 Spears

The surname Spears has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "spere," which means a spear or lance, a weapon commonly used by medieval soldiers and knights. This surname likely originated as an occupational name or a descriptive nickname for someone who was skilled in the use of spears or lances, perhaps a soldier or a knight.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Spears can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1196, where a person named William Spere is mentioned. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1207, which mentions a Richard le Spere.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Spere, Sper, and Spear. These variations reflect the phonetic spelling of the name during that time period. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 record a John le Spere, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a William Spere.

One notable individual with the surname Spears was Sir John Spears, a Scottish soldier and military engineer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1545-1599). He served under King James VI of Scotland and was involved in fortifying various castles and defensive structures.

Another significant figure was Richard Spears, an English clergyman and academic who lived in the 17th century (c. 1630-1683). He was the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and played a role in the intellectual life of the university during that time.

In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the surname Spears was John Spears, an English architect and surveyor (c. 1720-1795). He was involved in the design and construction of several notable buildings in London, including the Blackfriars Bridge and the Adelphi Terrace.

The 19th century saw the rise of William Spears, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist (1801-1883). He founded the Spears Axe Company, which became a successful manufacturer of tools and hardware, and he also donated funds for the establishment of educational institutions in his hometown of Ayr.

Another notable figure from the 19th century was Robert Spears, an American lawyer and politician (1825-1899). He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi and was active in the Democratic Party during the Reconstruction era.

While the surname Spears has been present throughout history, it continues to be a name of significance, with various individuals making their mark in various fields across different time periods and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spears

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

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

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

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