2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Spierer
A surname relating to or derived from the German word for "spear" or "spearman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 227 Americans carry the last name Spierer. That puts it at #98,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,509,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spierer 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
227
1 in 1,509,931
Census rank
#98,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
198
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 198 bearers of the surname Spierer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spierer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spierer
The surname Spierer is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Spier," which means "spear" or "lance." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who made or used spears or was a soldier or warrior.
One of the earliest known records of the Spierer name dates back to the late 15th century in a manuscript from the town of Nuremberg, where a family with the name Spierer was listed as residents. This provides evidence that the name was in use during the Renaissance period in that region of Germany.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Spierer family living in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, also in Germany. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the country by that time.
One notable individual with the Spierer surname was Johann Spierer, a German merchant and banker who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the city of Augsburg and played a role in the city's financial affairs.
Another historical figure was Michael Spierer, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his contributions to religious and sacred music during the Renaissance era.
In the 18th century, there was a Spierer family living in the town of Braunau am Inn, located in present-day Austria near the German border. This indicates that the name had spread to neighboring regions over time.
One of the earliest known instances of the Spierer name outside of Germany was in the 19th century, when a family with that surname immigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Spierer, a German journalist and writer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his work as a political commentator and critic.
While the surname Spierer is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a long and interesting history that can be traced back several centuries to its origins in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spierer
Among Census respondents with the surname Spierer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Spierer 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 Spierer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spierer
Spierer 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-40 bearers (-24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,200 places
2020
#98,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
+72 bearers (+57.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 35,732 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -40 bearers (-24.1%) | Down 33,200 places |
| 2020 | #98,131 | 198 | 0.07 | +72 bearers (+57.1%) | Up 35,732 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 Spierer 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 | #133,863 | #98,131 | 26.7% |
| Count | 126 | 198 | 57.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.07 | 65.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spierer bearers went from 126 to 198 (+57.1% change). The surname moved up 35,732 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #98,131.
FAQ
Spierer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spierer?
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the surname Spierer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,509,931 residents.
How common is Spierer?
Spierer ranks #98,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 198 people with the surname Spierer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Spierer.
Has Spierer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spierer went from 126 recorded bearers to 198. That is an increase of 72 (+57.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #133,863 to #98,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Spierer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spierer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spierer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spierer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (4.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spierer (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 Spierer mean?
A surname relating to or derived from the German word for "spear" or "spearman". 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 Spierer (0.07 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 have the surname Spierer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.