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

Spergel, 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 Spergel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spergel in America

Spergel is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spergel surname appeared 128 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spergel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spergel 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 Spergel

The surname SPERGEL is of German origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is derived from the German word "sperge," which means "sprig" or "twig," referring to a small branch or shoot. This suggests that the name may have initially belonged to someone who lived near or worked with shrubbery or vegetation.

The earliest recorded instances of the SPERGEL surname can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the name SPERGEL residing in the towns of Nuremberg and Leipzig. One notable early bearer of the name was Hans SPERGEL, a woodcarver born in Nuremberg in 1602.

In the 18th century, the SPERGEL name spread to other parts of Germany, with records indicating families living in cities like Berlin and Hamburg. During this time, the spelling variations "Spergell" and "Spergl" also emerged.

One of the earliest known references to the SPERGEL name can be found in the church records of St. Sebald in Nuremberg, dating back to 1678. These records document the baptism of Johann SPERGEL, son of a local tradesman.

In the 19th century, the SPERGEL surname gained prominence with the birth of the German mathematician and physicist Ernst SPERGEL (1832-1917). He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and held a professorship at the University of Halle.

Other notable individuals with the SPERGEL surname include:

1. Friedrich SPERGEL (1786-1854), a German theologian and philosopher from Leipzig.
2. Emilie SPERGEL (1858-1923), a German operatic soprano who performed in major opera houses across Europe.
3. Max SPERGEL (1892-1968), a German-American physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.
4. Heinrich SPERGEL (1907-1985), a German author and playwright known for his works on World War II themes.
5. David N. SPERGEL (born 1961), an American astrophysicist and professor at Princeton University, renowned for his contributions to cosmology and the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation.

While the SPERGEL name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, where it has been carried by individuals of German descent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spergel

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

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

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

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