2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Spinning
An occupational surname referring to one who spun fibers into thread or yarn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Spinning. 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 Spinning 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 Spinning 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 Spinning, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spinning
The surname SPINNING is of English origin, arising primarily in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the late medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "spinnan," which means "to spin thread or yarn." The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century.
In the early days, SPINNING referred to individuals whose primary occupation was spinning yarn or thread, a crucial step in the production of textiles. As the textile industry flourished in the northern regions of England, families involved in this trade often adopted the surname SPINNING.
One of the earliest known references to this surname is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379, which mentions a Robert Spynnynge residing in the village of Ecclesfield. Another early record is the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1523, which lists a Thomas Spynnynge from Blackburn.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname SPINNING appeared in various forms, such as Spynnyng, Spynnynge, and Spynninge, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in that era. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional accents.
One notable historical figure bearing the SPINNING surname was John Spinning, a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he owned substantial estates in the villages of Thornton and Allerton.
In the 17th century, the SPINNING family established roots in the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Thomas Spinning, born in 1627, was a respected wool merchant and civic leader in the town. His grandson, also named Thomas Spinning (1685-1754), became a successful manufacturer and philanthropist, contributing to the construction of several local churches and schools.
Another notable individual was Sarah Spinning (1738-1812), a pioneering female botanist and naturalist from Lancashire. She was renowned for her extensive collection of plant specimens and her contributions to the study of local flora.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the SPINNING surname spread across various parts of England, with families settling in counties such as Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some members of the SPINNING family also immigrated to the American colonies and later to other parts of the British Empire.
In the 20th century, Sir Arthur Spinning (1901-1987), a distinguished engineer and industrialist from Yorkshire, made significant contributions to the development of the British automotive industry. He was knighted in 1965 for his services to engineering and manufacturing.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spinning
Among Census respondents with the surname Spinning, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Spinning 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 Spinning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 121
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spinning
Spinning 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
-11 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 14,759 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-16 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | -11 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 14,759 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 16,027 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 Spinning 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 | #125,282 | #141,309 | -12.8% |
| Count | 137 | 121 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spinning bearers went from 137 to 121 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 16,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #141,309.
FAQ
Spinning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spinning?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Spinning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Spinning?
Spinning 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 Spinning. 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 Spinning.
Has Spinning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spinning went from 137 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Spinning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spinning, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Spinning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spinning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Spinning (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 Spinning mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who spun fibers into thread or yarn. 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 Spinning (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 Spinning?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.