2000
#8,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Spindler
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of spindles, a tool used in spinning thread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,977 Americans carry the last name Spindler. That puts it at #9,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,184 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spindler 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 Spindler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,184
Census rank
#9,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,468 bearers of the surname Spindler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spindler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spindler
The surname Spindler has its roots in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a spinner or someone who worked with spinning yarn or thread. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "spinnæler" or "spinnelære," which translates to "spinner."
In the medieval era, many surnames were derived from occupations, reflecting the individual's trade or profession. The Spindler name likely emerged in regions where textile production and weaving were prevalent industries, such as in the German states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia.
The earliest recorded instances of the Spindler surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1285, a Henricus Spindeler was mentioned in records from the city of Cologne. Another early reference is found in the town of Eger (now Cheb, Czech Republic), where a Johannes Spindler was documented in 1351.
The name also appeared in various forms and spellings throughout history, such as Spindeler, Spindeler, and Spindler. These variations were common due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping.
Notable individuals with the Spindler surname include:
1. Christoph Spindler (1615-1688), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher.
2. Konrad Spindler (1663-1732), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works.
3. Wilhelm Spindler (1776-1834), a German historian and philologist who served as a professor at the University of Giessen.
4. Max Spindler (1877-1952), a German artist and illustrator known for his book illustrations and postcard designs.
5. Anton Spindler (1878-1951), an Austrian politician and member of the Christian Social Party.
Over the centuries, the Spindler name has been associated with various places, such as Spindlermühle (now Špindlerův Mlýn) in the Czech Republic, a town named after a historic mill owned by someone with the Spindler surname.
While the Spindler name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this surname found in countries like Austria, Switzerland, and even the United States and Canada due to immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spindler
Among Census respondents with the surname Spindler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Spindler 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 Spindler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,222
- Two or more races2.8% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 38
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spindler
Spindler 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
#8,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,648
+39 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 559 places
2020
#9,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,468
-180 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,410 | 3,609 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,969 | 3,648 | 1.24 | +39 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 559 places |
| 2020 | #9,042 | 3,468 | 1.16 | -180 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 73 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 Spindler 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 | #8,969 | #9,042 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,648 | 3,468 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.16 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spindler bearers went from 3,648 to 3,468 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,969 to #9,042.
FAQ
Spindler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spindler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,977 living Americans carry the surname Spindler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,184 residents.
How common is Spindler?
Spindler ranks #9,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,468 people with the surname Spindler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Spindler.
Has Spindler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spindler went from 3,648 recorded bearers to 3,468. That is a decrease of 180 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,969 to #9,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Spindler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spindler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Spindler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spindler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Spindler (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 Spindler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of spindles, a tool used in spinning thread. 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 Spindler (1.16 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 last name Spindler?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Spindler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.