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

Spell, 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 Spell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spell in America

Spell is the 6404th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spell surname appeared 5,313 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Spell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spell 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 Spell

The surname SPELL has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spel," which meant a story or tale. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was known for their storytelling abilities or perhaps even a scribe or recorder of tales.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SPELL surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a William Spel is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a John le Spel from Oxfordshire. These early records demonstrate the evolution of the spelling from the original Old English "spel" to the more modernized "SPELL."

In the 13th century, the SPELL surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire, where a Roger le Spel is documented. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions of England by that time. Additionally, the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310 mentions a William Spel, indicating the presence of the surname in that area as well.

The SPELL name has also been associated with certain place names, such as Spellbrook in Hertfordshire and Spellholme in Yorkshire. It is possible that these locations were named after individuals bearing the SPELL surname or that the surname itself originated from these place names.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the SPELL surname. One such person was John SPELL (1550-1623), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Norwich. Another was William SPELL (1609-1663), a English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Andover.

In the 18th century, Joseph SPELL (1740-1819) was a notable American planter and soldier from South Carolina who fought in the Revolutionary War. John SPELL (1789-1863) was a politician from Georgia who served as a U.S. Congressman from 1835 to 1837.

More recently, Lester SPELL (1902-1992) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Texas who founded the Spell Capital Companies and made significant contributions to educational institutions in the state.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spell

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

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

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

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