Find out how popular the last name Spillane is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Spillane.

Spillane, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Spillane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spillane in America

Spillane is the 10528th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spillane surname appeared 3,047 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Spillane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spillane to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Spillane

The surname Spillane originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word 'Spiolán,' which means 'explorer' or 'wanderer.' The name was initially found in County Cork, particularly in the areas around Duhallow and Muskerry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spillane can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle spanning from the 5th to the 13th century. The annals mention a "Spillán mac Conmaic," who was a notable figure in the region during that time.

The Spillane name has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Spillane's Cross and Spillane's Bridge, located in County Cork. These place names suggest that the Spillane family had a significant presence and influence in the area.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Spillane. One of the earliest recorded was Dermot Spillane (c. 1460 - 1525), an Irish chieftain and lord of the manor of Clogheen, County Cork. Another prominent figure was Edmond Spillane (1676 - 1738), an Irish Jacobite and member of the Parliament of Ireland.

In more recent times, the Spillane name has been carried by several accomplished individuals, including Mickey Spillane (1918 - 2006), an American crime novelist widely known for his series featuring the detective Mike Hammer. Another notable bearer of the name was Brendan Spillane (1920 - 2011), an Irish professional footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1940s and 1950s.

The name Spillane has also been prominent in the field of literature, with authors such as Michael Spillane (1939 - ), an American novelist and playwright, and Camilla Spillane (1924 - 2008), an Irish novelist and short story writer.

While the Spillane surname originated in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spillane

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Spillane.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Spillane was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Spillane has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Spillane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Spillane, please contact us.

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