Spielberg
An Ashkenazic Jewish surname referring to a town or area where games or plays were staged.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Spielberg. That puts it at #53,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spielberg surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#53,419
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
387
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 387 bearers of the surname Spielberg in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spielberg
The surname Spielberg is of German origin, derived from the words "spiel" meaning "play" or "game," and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.
The name was likely given to individuals who lived near or owned land situated on a hill or mountain where games or sports were played. It may also have been a descriptive name for someone who engaged in or was associated with such activities.
While there are no known references to the name in historical documents like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various German records and church registers from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, a record from 1555 mentions a Johannes Spielberg in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, and in 1624, a Hans Spielberg was documented in the village of Oberwiesenthal.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Johann Spielberg (1592-1662), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Another early bearer of the name was Johann Christoph Spielberg (1685-1745), a German theologian and author from Strasbourg.
The Spielberg surname has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as the town of Spielberg in Lower Saxony and the municipality of Spielberg in Bavaria. These place names may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.
Other notable individuals with the surname Spielberg throughout history include:
1. Friedrich Spielberg (1811-1872), a German writer and translator.
2. Carl Spielberg (1873-1943), a German-American businessman and philanthropist.
3. Arnold Spielberg (1917-2020), an American electrical engineer and father of filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
4. Steven Spielberg (born 1946), the renowned American filmmaker known for movies like Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Schindler's List.
5. Leah Spielberg Adler (1920-2017), Steven Spielberg's mother and a former concert pianist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spielberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Spielberg bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Spielberg surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7%
- Hispanic or Latino3.1%
- Two or more races2.3%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8%
- Unknown or suppressed1.0%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Spielberg surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,196 | #53,419 | -10.8% |
| Count | 412 | 387 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.13 | -13.3% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Spielberg bearers went from 412 to 387 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 5,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,196 to #53,419.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Spielberg
FAQ
Spielberg surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Spielberg?
The surname Spielberg holds position #53,419 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 446 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Spielberg surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.