Find out how popular the last name Speller is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Speller.
An occupational surname referring to a scribe, copyist, or one who teaches or practices spelling and writing.
Speller, 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 Speller surname is from the 2010 census data.
Speller is the 11743rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Speller surname appeared 2,668 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Speller.
We can also compare 2010 data for Speller 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 11743 | 12047 | -2.56% |
Count | 2,668 | 2,377 | 11.54% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.90 | 0.88 | 2.25% |
The surname Speller has its origins in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Middle English word "spelere," which referred to a reciter of tales or a minstrel. The name likely originated from individuals who made their living as traveling storytellers or entertainers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a William le Speller is mentioned. This historic document provides evidence that the name was already established in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Spellere, Spellare, and Spellour, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John le Speller is listed.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname began to be more consistently spelled as Speller. One notable bearer of the name was William Speller, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 15th century and is mentioned in historical records from that city.
The Speller surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For example, there is a village called Speller in Yorkshire, which may have contributed to the name's geographical distribution.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Speller throughout history are:
While the surname Speller may not be as common today as it once was, its history can be traced back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name for storytellers and minstrels, reflecting the rich cultural traditions of that era.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Speller.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Speller was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 19.38% | 517 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 73.84% | 1,970 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 3.34% | 89 |
Hispanic Origin | 3.00% | 80 |
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 Speller has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 19.38% | 18.38% | 5.30% |
Black | 73.84% | 76.82% | -3.96% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 3.34% | 2.78% | 18.30% |
Hispanic | 3.00% | 1.72% | 54.24% |
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 Speller was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Speller, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/speller-surname-popularity/">Speller last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Speller last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/speller-surname-popularity/.
"Speller last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/speller-surname-popularity/. Accessed 14 December, 2024
Speller last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/speller-surname-popularity/.
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