2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Spigler
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname for a spikelet or small spike maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Spigler. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spigler 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Spigler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spigler
The surname Spigler has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "spigel," which means "mirror." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational name for a mirror maker or seller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spigler surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Spigler was listed as a resident in 1296. Another early reference comes from the city of Augsburg, where a merchant named Konrad Spigler was documented in 1312.
In the 15th century, the Spigler name appears in various historical documents across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. For instance, a Johann Spigler from Ulm is mentioned in a legal document from 1452, while a Christoph Spigler from Augsburg is recorded as a member of the local guild of glassmakers in 1487.
As the name spread throughout Germany and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Spiegler, Spiegeler, and Spiegel. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Hans Spigler (1480-1547), a German Renaissance painter and engraver from Bamberg.
Another prominent individual was Johann Spigler (1619-1690), a German physician and botanist from Augsburg, who authored several works on medicinal plants and their uses. His contributions to the field of botany were significant during his time.
In the 18th century, the Spigler name found its way to other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer was Johann Baptist Spigler (1736-1808), an Austrian painter and printmaker from Vienna, known for his religious and allegorical works.
Moving into the 19th century, the Spigler surname continued to be present across various regions of Germany and neighboring countries. One noteworthy figure was Karl Spigler (1875-1954), a German architect from Munich who designed several notable buildings in the city.
While the surname Spigler is not among the most common German names, it has left its mark on history through the contributions of individuals from various fields, ranging from art and medicine to architecture and other professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spigler
Among Census respondents with the surname Spigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Spigler 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 Spigler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spigler
Spigler 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-47 bearers (-29.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 44,021 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+11 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -47 bearers (-29.9%) | Down 44,021 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 8,086 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 Spigler 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 | #149,395 | #141,309 | 5.4% |
| Count | 110 | 121 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spigler bearers went from 110 to 121 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 8,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #141,309.
FAQ
Spigler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spigler?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Spigler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Spigler?
Spigler ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Spigler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Spigler.
Has Spigler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spigler went from 110 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 11 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Spigler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Spigler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spigler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%), Black (2.5%). 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 Spigler (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 Spigler mean?
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname for a spikelet or small spike maker. 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 Spigler (0.04 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 Spigler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.