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

Spiel, 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 Spiel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spiel in America

Spiel is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spiel surname appeared 179 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 Spiel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spiel 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 Spiel

The surname Spiel is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "spiel," which means "game" or "play." This suggests that the Spiel surname may have been initially given to someone who was a performer, entertainer, or perhaps a maker of games or toys.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spiel surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was present in the region during that time period.

In the 15th century, records show a family named Spiel residing in the town of Nuremberg, which was a significant cultural and economic center in the Holy Roman Empire. This indicates that the surname had spread to different regions of Germany by that time.

A notable historical figure with the Spiel surname was Johann Tobias Spiel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1667 to 1719. He served as the organist at the St. Walpurgis Church in Nuremberg and composed several works for organ and other instruments.

Another individual of note was Johann Friedrich Spiel, a German painter and etcher who was born in Nuremberg in 1714 and died in 1781. He is known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from his native city.

In the 19th century, the Spiel surname can be found in various historical records from Germany, such as census documents and military records. This suggests that the name continued to be prevalent in the country during that time period.

One prominent individual with the Spiel surname was Max Spiel, a German industrialist and entrepreneur who lived from 1858 to 1932. He founded the Spiel'sche Eisenwerke, a successful iron manufacturing company based in Nuremberg.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Spiel, a German politician and lawyer who was born in 1870 and died in 1948. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) and was involved in various political movements during his lifetime.

While the surname Spiel has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the historical records and individuals mentioned above provide insights into the origins and early history of this surname within the German context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spiel

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

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

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

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