2000
#49,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Spielvogel
A German surname meaning "play bird" or "toy bird".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 495 Americans carry the last name Spielvogel. That puts it at #51,968 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 692,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spielvogel 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
495
1 in 692,433
Census rank
#51,968
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
432
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 432 bearers of the surname Spielvogel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51968th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielvogel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spielvogel
The surname Spielvogel originates from Germany, dating back to the late medieval period. It is a compound word derived from the German words "spiel," meaning "play," and "vogel," meaning "bird." The name likely referred to someone who possessed a cheerful or playful demeanor, akin to a carefree bird.
Historically, surnames were often associated with occupations, physical characteristics, or locations. The Spielvogel surname might have been an occupational name for a court jester, minstrel, or entertainer who delighted audiences with their performances, much like a playful bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spielvogel surname can be found in the Württemberg archives from the 15th century. The name appears in various documents from that region, indicating its widespread use among German families.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Spielvogel surname was Hans Spielvogel (1497-1565), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. His works contributed significantly to the development of Renaissance music in Germany.
Another prominent individual was Johann Spielvogel (1604-1671), a German mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the field of navigation. His work on calculating longitude at sea was highly influential during his time.
In the 18th century, Georg Spielvogel (1736-1811) was a renowned German painter and engraver. His intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes were widely admired throughout Europe.
Johann Christoph Spielvogel (1775-1848) was a German educator and author who wrote several influential textbooks on geography and history. His works were widely used in schools across Germany during the early 19th century.
The Spielvogel surname can also be found in various place names throughout Germany, such as Spielvogelhof and Spielvogelsteig, further reinforcing its deep-rooted connection to German heritage.
While the name has evolved over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation, its origins can be traced back to the playful and entertaining spirit of its bearers, who were often associated with music, art, and storytelling in the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spielvogel
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielvogel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Spielvogel 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 Spielvogel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 403
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 18
- Two or more races1.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spielvogel
Spielvogel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#48,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 439
+39 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 1,206 places
2020
#51,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
-7 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,808 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,366 | 400 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,160 | 439 | 0.15 | +39 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,206 places |
| 2020 | #51,968 | 432 | 0.14 | -7 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 3,808 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 Spielvogel 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 | #48,160 | #51,968 | -7.9% |
| Count | 439 | 432 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.14 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spielvogel bearers went from 439 to 432 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 3,808 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,160 to #51,968.
FAQ
Spielvogel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spielvogel?
Name Census estimates that about 495 living Americans carry the surname Spielvogel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 692,433 residents.
How common is Spielvogel?
Spielvogel ranks #51,968 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 432 people with the surname Spielvogel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (495), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Spielvogel.
Has Spielvogel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spielvogel went from 439 recorded bearers to 432. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,160 to #51,968.
What does the Census say about the background of Spielvogel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spielvogel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Spielvogel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (403 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spielvogel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Spielvogel (2000, 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 Spielvogel mean?
A German surname meaning "play bird" or "toy bird". 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 Spielvogel (0.14 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 Spielvogel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.