2000
#10,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,888
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Spiers
An occupational surname for one who made spears or worked as a watchman or guard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,227 Americans carry the last name Spiers. That puts it at #10,816 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spiers 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Spiers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,215
Census rank
#10,816
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,814 bearers of the surname Spiers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10816th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spiers
The surname Spiers is of English origin and traces its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spere," which referred to a spear or lance, a weapon commonly used during those times. This occupational surname was likely initially given to someone who made or sold spears, or perhaps even to a skilled spearman or soldier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where it appears as "Willmus le Spere." The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing insight into the usage of surnames in various parts of England during that period.
In the 14th century, the name surfaced in various forms, including "Spereman" and "Spermonger," further reinforcing its connection to the spear trade or profession. These variations highlight the fluidity of surname spellings during the Middle Ages before standardization became more widespread.
The Spiers surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as Spiers in Fife, Scotland, and Speers Point in New South Wales, Australia. However, it is unclear whether these locations were named after individuals bearing the surname or vice versa.
Notable individuals with the Spiers surname throughout history include:
1. William Spiers (1820-1887), a Scottish-born American architect known for designing several prominent buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Smithsonian Institution Building and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
2. John Spiers (1888-1966), a British actor and playwright who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the early 20th century.
3. Gerry Spiers (born 1954), a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland who played for several clubs, including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
4. Richard Spiers (1838-1916), an English-born Australian journalist and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
5. Alexander Spiers (1809-1892), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
While the Spiers surname may not be as widely recognized as some others, its historical roots and connections to the spear trade and profession provide an intriguing glimpse into the lives and occupations of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spiers
Among Census respondents with the surname Spiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Spiers 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 Spiers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 2,527
- Two or more races3.2% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 87
- Black or African American2.4% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spiers
Spiers 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
#10,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,989
+101 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 449 places
2020
#10,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,814
-175 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,243 | 2,888 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,692 | 2,989 | 1.01 | +101 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 449 places |
| 2020 | #10,816 | 2,814 | 0.94 | -175 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 124 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 Spiers 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 | #10,692 | #10,816 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,989 | 2,814 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.94 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spiers bearers went from 2,989 to 2,814 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,692 to #10,816.
FAQ
Spiers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spiers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,227 living Americans carry the surname Spiers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,215 residents.
How common is Spiers?
Spiers ranks #10,816 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,814 people with the surname Spiers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Spiers.
Has Spiers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spiers went from 2,989 recorded bearers to 2,814. That is a decrease of 175 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,692 to #10,816.
What does the Census say about the background of Spiers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Spiers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (2,527 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spiers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Spiers (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 Spiers mean?
An occupational surname for one who made spears or worked as a watchman or guard. 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 Spiers (0.94 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 Spiers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.