2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Spellins
A variant spelling of the English occupational surname referring to one who made or sold wooden barrel staves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Spellins. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spellins 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Spellins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spellins, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spellins
The surname SPELLINS has its origins in the British Isles, with evidence suggesting it first emerged in England sometime during the 13th century. Linguists believe the name is derived from the Old English words "spel" and "lingan," which together roughly translate to "a person who recites tales or stories." This connection implies that the earliest bearers of the SPELLINS name may have been storytellers, bards, or other performers of that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SPELLINS surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain John Spellins is listed as a resident of the village of Evesham. Further records from the 14th century show variations in spelling, such as Spellings, Spellynges, and Spellyngis, indicating the name's gradual evolution over time.
In the late 15th century, a prominent figure named William Spellins (c.1460-1522) was noted as a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. His legacy is still visible in the form of the Spellins Almshouse, a charitable housing establishment he endowed for the poor during his lifetime.
Another historical figure of note is Sir Thomas Spellins (1585-1647), a military commander who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He served as a cavalry officer under King Charles I and was knighted for his valorous service at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
Moving into the 18th century, the SPELLINS name is associated with the renowned poet and dramatist, Elizabeth Spellins (1719-1799). Born in London, her works were widely praised during her lifetime, and she was a prominent figure in the city's literary circles.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition through the accomplishments of Sir Robert Spellins (1821-1892), a noted explorer and naturalist. His expeditions to remote regions of Africa and Asia yielded numerous discoveries in the field of botany, and he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1858.
While these are just a few examples, the SPELLINS surname has a rich and varied history, with bearers making their mark across various fields and walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spellins
Among Census respondents with the surname Spellins, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Spellins 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 Spellins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spellins
Spellins appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Spellins 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spellins bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Spellins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spellins?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Spellins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Spellins?
Spellins ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Spellins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Spellins.
Has Spellins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spellins went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Spellins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spellins, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Spellins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spellins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Spellins (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 Spellins mean?
A variant spelling of the English occupational surname referring to one who made or sold wooden barrel staves. 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 Spellins (0.04 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 Spellins?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.