2000
#11,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,417
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Spillers
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of spills, small pieces of wood used for lighting fires.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,679 Americans carry the last name Spillers. That puts it at #12,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spillers 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
2.7K
1 in 127,941
Census rank
#12,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,336 bearers of the surname Spillers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spillers, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spillers
The surname SPILLERS is of English origin, traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "spillan," meaning "to spill" or "to pour." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, such as a miller, brewer, or someone involved in the production or distribution of liquids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Spiller." This official census record from the reign of King Edward I provides valuable insights into the distribution and variations of surnames during that period.
In the medieval era, the SPILLERS name was concentrated in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in East Anglia. Some records also suggest its presence in the counties of Kent and Surrey in the southeast of England.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the SPILLERS surname. However, it does mention place names like "Spelhurst" and "Spillemannesberie," which may have influenced the development of the surname in later centuries.
Notably, the SPILLERS name has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Spillers (c. 1480-1545), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Spillers (1625-1690), a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of 17th-century England.
In the 18th century, William Spillers (1717-1783) was a respected lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Scotland.
The 19th century saw the emergence of James Spillers (1842-1905), a successful businessman and industrialist who founded the Spillers Company, a major manufacturer of animal feed and flour in the United Kingdom.
Lastly, Sir Charles Spillers (1880-1962) was a distinguished British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Turkey and later held the position of Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office.
While the SPILLERS surname has evolved over centuries, its roots can be traced back to the occupational origins of the medieval English language, reflecting the trades and professions associated with the handling and distribution of liquids.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spillers
Among Census respondents with the surname Spillers, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Spillers 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 Spillers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 1,903
- Black or African American9.8% · 230
- Two or more races3.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spillers
Spillers 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
#12,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,529
+112 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#12,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,336
-193 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 326 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,862 | 2,417 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,292 | 2,529 | 0.86 | +112 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #12,618 | 2,336 | 0.78 | -193 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 326 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 Spillers 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 | #12,292 | #12,618 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,529 | 2,336 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.78 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spillers bearers went from 2,529 to 2,336 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 326 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,292 to #12,618.
FAQ
Spillers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spillers?
Name Census estimates that about 2,679 living Americans carry the surname Spillers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,941 residents.
How common is Spillers?
Spillers ranks #12,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,336 people with the surname Spillers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Spillers.
Has Spillers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spillers went from 2,529 recorded bearers to 2,336. That is a decrease of 193 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,292 to #12,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Spillers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spillers, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Spillers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (1,903 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spillers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (9.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Spillers (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 Spillers mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of spills, small pieces of wood used for lighting fires. 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 Spillers (0.78 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 Spillers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.