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

Spiegel, 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 Spiegel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spiegel in America

Spiegel is the 5488th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spiegel surname appeared 6,338 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Spiegel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spiegel 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 Spiegel

The surname Spiegel is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "spiegel," meaning "mirror." The name first emerged in the late 13th century and was likely an occupational name for a mirror maker or seller.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Spiegel can be found in various German records from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Bürgeraufnahmebuch (Citizen Registration Book) of the city of Augsburg in 1388, with the entry "Hans Spiegel."

Over time, the surname Spiegel spread beyond its initial regions of origin, such as Bavaria and Saxony, and became more widespread across German-speaking areas. Variations of the spelling included Spiegell, Spigel, and Speegel.

Historically, the Spiegel surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Frau Spiegel, a 15th-century German mystic and author who wrote about her spiritual experiences. Another was Jakob Spiegel, a 16th-century German theologian and philosopher who published works on ethics and moral philosophy (c. 1483-1547).

In the 17th century, Adriaen van de Spiegel (1578-1625) was a Dutch poet and playwright known for his works in the Renaissance tradition. Gottlieb Spiegel (1719-1783) was a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary orbits.

Moving into the 19th century, Carl Spiegel (1868-1953) was a German-born American businessman who founded the Spiegel catalog company, a pioneering mail-order business that became a household name in the United States.

Throughout its history, the Spiegel surname has maintained its association with various professions, including mirror makers, glassworkers, and merchants, as well as scholars, writers, and artists. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread globally, carried by generations of individuals with diverse backgrounds and accomplishments.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spiegel

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

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

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

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