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

Spellen, 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 Spellen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spellen in America

Spellen is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spellen surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spellen.

The history of the last name Spellen

The surname Spellen has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "spellian," which means "to declare" or "to relate." The name likely referred to someone who was a storyteller or a messenger.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named William Spelman is mentioned. The name appears in various spellings throughout history, such as Spelman, Spellman, and Spellman.

The name is also associated with several place names in England, including Speldhurst in Kent and Spelponden in Hertfordshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname Spellen.

In the 13th century, a Robert de Spelman is recorded as holding lands in Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the Spellen family had established themselves as landowners by this time.

One notable figure with the surname Spellen was Sir Henry Spelman (1564-1641), an English antiquarian and scholar. He was a noted collector of manuscripts and wrote extensively on the history and laws of England.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Spelman (1594-1643), who was a member of the English Parliament and served as a commissioner for the trial of King Charles I.

In the 17th century, a Richard Spelman (1600-1663) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history.

A more recent figure was Sir John Spelman (1905-1989), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1958 to 1962.

Finally, Charles Spellen (1927-2014) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on topics ranging from history to true crime.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Spellen has a long and rich history, with roots dating back to medieval England and spanning various professions and accomplishments.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spellen

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

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 Spellen 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.

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

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

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