2000
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Spengler
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of buckles, clasps, or spangles, or a wood shingle maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,400 Americans carry the last name Spengler. That puts it at #13,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,814 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spengler 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
2.4K
1 in 142,814
Census rank
#13,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,093 bearers of the surname Spengler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spengler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spengler
The surname Spengler is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "spengelære," which referred to a nail maker or someone who worked with nails. This occupational surname emerged in the 13th century, reflecting the trades and professions of the time.
The name can be traced back to various regions of Germany, particularly in areas where metalworking and blacksmithing were prevalent. The earliest records of the name Spengler appear in medieval German documents, such as town registers and guild records.
One of the earliest known references to the name Spengler is found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, which mentions a Konrad Spengler, a prominent craftsman and member of the metalworkers' guild. This document highlights the importance of the nail-making trade in the region during that period.
Another notable individual bearing the name Spengler was Lazarus Spengler (1479-1534), a German clergyman and reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 16th century, the name Spengler appeared in various places across Germany, often associated with metalworking centers. For instance, records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber mention a family of Spenglers who were renowned blacksmiths and nail makers.
The name Spengler also found its way into literature and philosophy. Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), a German philosopher and historian, is famous for his influential work "The Decline of the West," in which he analyzed the cyclical nature of civilizations.
Other notable individuals with the surname Spengler include Johann Spengler (1480-1537), a German composer and theologian from Nuremberg, and Anton Spengler (1505-1581), a German goldsmith and engraver known for his intricate metalwork.
Throughout history, the name Spengler has been associated with various spellings and variations, such as Spengelær, Spengeler, and Spenglar, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes over time. However, the core meaning of the name remained tied to the occupation of nail making and metalworking.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spengler
Among Census respondents with the surname Spengler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Spengler 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 Spengler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,933
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 71
- Two or more races2.9% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spengler
Spengler 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
#13,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,178
+89 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 499 places
2020
#13,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,093
-85 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,372 | 2,089 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,871 | 2,178 | 0.74 | +89 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 499 places |
| 2020 | #13,826 | 2,093 | 0.70 | -85 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 45 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 Spengler 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 | #13,871 | #13,826 | 0.3% |
| Count | 2,178 | 2,093 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.70 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spengler bearers went from 2,178 to 2,093 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,871 to #13,826.
FAQ
Spengler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spengler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,400 living Americans carry the surname Spengler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,814 residents.
How common is Spengler?
Spengler ranks #13,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,093 people with the surname Spengler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Spengler.
Has Spengler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spengler went from 2,178 recorded bearers to 2,093. That is a decrease of 85 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,871 to #13,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Spengler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spengler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Spengler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,933 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spengler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Spengler (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 Spengler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of buckles, clasps, or spangles, or a wood shingle maker. 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 Spengler (0.70 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 Americans have the surname Spengler?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.