2000
#70,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Specter
A surname derived from the Latin word "spectrum," referring to a ghostly apparition or specter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 335 Americans carry the last name Specter. That puts it at #71,896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,023,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Specter 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
335
1 in 1,023,147
Census rank
#71,896
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
292
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 292 bearers of the surname Specter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Specter, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Specter
The surname Specter is believed to be of English origin, with roots dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "specter," which means "spirit" or "ghostly apparition." This likely suggests that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who had a pale or ghostly appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Spec" or "Spect." This indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to take on various spellings, such as "Specter," "Specter," and "Spectre," reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography. Some of these early spellings were influenced by the Latin word "spectrum," which also means "ghost" or "apparition."
The Specter surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir John Specter (c. 1330-1395), a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Bartholomew Specter (1523-1601), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Rochester.
Another notable figure was Jeremiah Specter (1680-1737), a British philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the nature of the soul and the afterlife, perhaps influenced by the ghostly connotations of his surname.
In the 19th century, the name was carried by William Specter (1814-1887), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Specter Library.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most recognizable bearers of the Specter surname was Arlen Specter (1930-2012), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania for over three decades.
While the surname Specter is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich historical legacy that spans centuries, from its Old English roots to its association with notable figures in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Specter
Among Census respondents with the surname Specter, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Specter 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 Specter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 264
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 5
- Two or more races1.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Specter
Specter 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
#67,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
+33 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 2,954 places
2020
#71,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,377 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70,473 | 259 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,519 | 292 | 0.10 | +33 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 2,954 places |
| 2020 | #71,896 | 292 | 0.10 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 4,377 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 Specter 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 | #67,519 | #71,896 | -6.5% |
| Count | 292 | 292 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Specter bearers went from 292 to 292 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 4,377 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,519 to #71,896.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Specter
FAQ
Specter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Specter?
Name Census estimates that about 335 living Americans carry the surname Specter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,023,147 residents.
How common is Specter?
Specter ranks #71,896 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 292 people with the surname Specter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (335), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Specter.
Has Specter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Specter went from 292 recorded bearers to 292. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #67,519 to #71,896.
What does the Census say about the background of Specter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Specter, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Specter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Specter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (5.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Specter (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 Specter mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "spectrum," referring to a ghostly apparition or specter. 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 Specter (0.10 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 have the surname Specter?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.