2000
#13,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,987
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Spells
An English occupational surname referring to a person who works magic or performs incantations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,357 Americans carry the last name Spells. That puts it at #14,034 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,420 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spells 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Spells with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,420
Census rank
#14,034
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,055 bearers of the surname Spells in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14034th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spells, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.2%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spells
The surname SPELLS originates from England, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spellian," meaning "to tell" or "to speak," suggesting a connection to storytellers or orators in ancient times.
The earliest known records of the name SPELLS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Spelle." This indicates that the surname was already established and in use during the medieval period in England.
In the 14th century, the name SPELLS began to appear in various official documents and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire from 1332, where it was written as "Spelles." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable individual bearing the surname SPELLS was John Spelles, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1458 as a merchant from London. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1523, which lists a Richard Spelles as a taxpayer.
The SPELLS surname has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Spellsbury, a hamlet in Oxfordshire. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.
Among the notable figures with the surname SPELLS throughout history, one can mention:
1. Sir Richard Spells (1572-1646), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Westbury during the reign of King Charles I.
2. Elizabeth Spells (1633-1692), a renowned herbalist and healer from Dorset, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants.
3. Thomas Spells (1701-1778), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Bristol, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 18th century.
4. William Spells (1813-1886), a celebrated landscape painter from Yorkshire, whose works captured the beauty of the English countryside.
5. Mary Spells (1855-1931), a pioneering educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's rights and access to education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname SPELLS may not be as common today, its historical roots and connections to various regions and individuals across England provide a rich tapestry of stories and legacies woven into the fabric of British history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spells
Among Census respondents with the surname Spells, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.2%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Spells 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 Spells surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American74.2% · 1,525
- White17.5% · 360
- Two or more races5.3% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spells
Spells 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
#13,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,235
+248 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 356 places
2020
#14,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,055
-180 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 465 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,925 | 1,987 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,569 | 2,235 | 0.76 | +248 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 356 places |
| 2020 | #14,034 | 2,055 | 0.69 | -180 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 465 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 Spells 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 | #13,569 | #14,034 | -3.4% |
| Count | 2,235 | 2,055 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.69 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spells bearers went from 2,235 to 2,055 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 465 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,569 to #14,034.
FAQ
Spells surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spells?
Name Census estimates that about 2,357 living Americans carry the surname Spells. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,420 residents.
How common is Spells?
Spells ranks #14,034 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,055 people with the surname Spells. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,357), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Spells.
Has Spells become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spells went from 2,235 recorded bearers to 2,055. That is a decrease of 180 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,569 to #14,034.
What does the Census say about the background of Spells?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spells, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.2%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Spells in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.2% (1,525 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spells appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (74.2%), White (17.5%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Spells (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 Spells mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who works magic or performs incantations. 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 Spells (0.69 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 common is the surname Spells?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Spells, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.