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

Spera, 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 Spera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spera in America

Spera is the 18144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spera surname appeared 1,534 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 Spera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spera 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.

The history of the last name Spera

The surname Spera is believed to have originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "sperare," which means "to hope" or "to expect." The name likely referred to someone who was optimistic or hopeful by nature.

In the early 13th century, records show the name Spera appearing in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. It was often spelled with variations such as Sperah, Sperai, and Speranza, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal errors of the time.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Spera can be found in the Florentine Priorista, a record of the city's governing councils, dating back to the late 1200s. The name is also mentioned in several medieval charters and deeds from various Italian towns and cities.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Spera was Giovanni Spera, a merchant and diplomat from Venice who played a role in negotiating trade agreements with the Byzantine Empire. He lived from around 1320 to 1390.

During the Renaissance period, the name Spera gained prominence in the arts and literature. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was the Italian poet and playwright, Tommaso Spera (1475-1542), who was renowned for his comedic works and satires.

Another notable figure was Girolamo Spera (1530-1601), an Italian architect and engineer who was instrumental in the design and construction of several important buildings and fortifications in Naples and other parts of southern Italy.

In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Spera family was Domenico Spera (1621-1688), a Baroque painter from Genoa who gained recognition for his religious and mythological works, which adorned numerous churches and palaces across Italy.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Spera has also been associated with various place names and locations in Italy, such as the town of Spera in the province of Perugia, and the village of Sperambio in the province of Siena, reflecting the geographic spread of the name.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and notable individuals associated with the surname Spera, which has its roots deeply embedded in the rich cultural heritage of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spera

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

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 Spera 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Spera has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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