2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spethman
A surname indicating a person who lived near or owned a field or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Spethman. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spethman 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Spethman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spethman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spethman
The surname Spethman is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Westphalia, located in the present-day state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name is derived from the Old German word "speth," which means "late" or "tardy," and the suffix "-man," signifying a person or individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cologne Schreinsbücher (record books) from the 14th century, where a certain Heyneman Spethman was mentioned as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 15th century, there are references to a Hermannus Spethman, who was a scholar and rector of the University of Cologne. He was known for his contributions to the field of philosophy and theology, and his works were widely circulated among intellectual circles of the time.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various records and documents from various regions of Germany, indicating its spread across the country. One notable figure was Johannes Spethman, a Protestant theologian born in Münster in 1535. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and authored several religious works.
In the 17th century, a prominent individual bearing the surname Spethman was Christoph Spethman, a German painter and engraver born in Fürstenwalde in 1615. His works, particularly his engravings, were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections throughout Europe.
Another noteworthy figure was Johann Spethman, born in Frankfurt in 1688, who was a renowned architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings and urban developments in various cities across Germany during the 18th century.
Over the centuries, the Spethman surname has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Spedtman, Spetman, and Spedeman, reflecting the regional differences and linguistic evolution of the German language. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, signifying an individual who was perceived as "late" or "tardy" in some aspect of their life or character.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spethman
Among Census respondents with the surname Spethman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Spethman 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 Spethman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spethman
Spethman 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,354 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 Spethman 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 | #144,141 | #146,495 | -1.6% |
| Count | 115 | 114 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spethman bearers went from 115 to 114 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #146,495.
FAQ
Spethman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spethman?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Spethman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Spethman?
Spethman ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Spethman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Spethman.
Has Spethman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spethman went from 115 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Spethman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spethman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Spethman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spethman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Spethman (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 Spethman mean?
A surname indicating a person who lived near or owned a field or meadow. 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 Spethman (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 share the surname Spethman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.