2000
#6,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.94
Rare Last name
Spell
An occupational surname referring to a magician, sorcerer, or one who casts spells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,735 Americans carry the last name Spell. That puts it at #6,526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spell 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
5.7K
1 in 59,765
Census rank
#6,526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,001 bearers of the surname Spell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spell
Among Census respondents with the surname Spell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Spell 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 Spell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.6% · 3,782
- Black or African American16.7% · 837
- Two or more races3.7% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 147
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spell
Spell 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
#6,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,313
+75 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 367 places
2020
#6,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,001
-312 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,037 | 5,238 | 1.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,404 | 5,313 | 1.80 | +75 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 367 places |
| 2020 | #6,526 | 5,001 | 1.67 | -312 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 122 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 Spell 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 | #6,404 | #6,526 | -1.9% |
| Count | 5,313 | 5,001 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.67 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spell bearers went from 5,313 to 5,001 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,404 to #6,526.
FAQ
Spell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spell?
Name Census estimates that about 5,735 living Americans carry the surname Spell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,765 residents.
How common is Spell?
Spell ranks #6,526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,001 people with the surname Spell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,735), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Spell.
Has Spell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spell went from 5,313 recorded bearers to 5,001. That is a decrease of 312 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,404 to #6,526.
What does the Census say about the background of Spell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Spell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.6% (3,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.6%), Black (16.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Spell (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 Spell mean?
An occupational surname referring to a magician, sorcerer, or one who casts spells. 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 Spell (1.67 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 share the surname Spell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.