2000
#1,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,349
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.54
Uncommon Last name
Spivey
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a person with an unkempt or untidy appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,262 Americans carry the last name Spivey. That puts it at #1,727 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spivey 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 Spivey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,735
Census rank
#1,727
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,286 bearers of the surname Spivey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1727th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spivey
The surname Spivey originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "spiwi," which means a small bird or sparrow. The name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was small or had a bird-like appearance.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are records of individuals with the name Spivey or similar spellings such as Spyveye and Spyvie. These early records suggest the name was present in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a Robert Spivey is mentioned. Another notable early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1243, which mention a William Spyvie.
The name Spivey is also associated with certain place names in England. For example, the village of Spivey in Somerset may have derived its name from individuals bearing the surname Spivey who lived in the area.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Spivey:
1. Sir Thomas Spivey (born around 1480, died 1545) was an English politician and Member of Parliament for Bristol during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. John Spivey (born around 1620, died 1679) was an English sailor and explorer who participated in several voyages to the West Indies and the Caribbean.
3. Elizabeth Spivey (born around 1730, died 1807) was an English author and poet known for her work "The Poetic Garland," published in 1776.
4. William Spivey (born 1795, died 1862) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras Church.
5. Henry Spivey (born 1828, died 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in Georgia and was involved in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier.
While the surname Spivey has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English language, reflecting the rich history and evolution of surnames in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spivey
Among Census respondents with the surname Spivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Spivey 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 Spivey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.6% · 13,103
- Black or African American27.2% · 5,526
- Two or more races4.2% · 846
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 624
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 93
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spivey
Spivey 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
#1,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,161
+812 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 7.17
Rank movement Down 87 places
2020
#1,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,286
-875 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 6.79
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,615 | 20,349 | 7.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,702 | 21,161 | 7.17 | +812 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 87 places |
| 2020 | #1,727 | 20,286 | 6.79 | -875 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 25 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 Spivey 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 | #1,702 | #1,727 | -1.5% |
| Count | 21,161 | 20,286 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.17 | 6.79 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spivey bearers went from 21,161 to 20,286 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,702 to #1,727.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Spivey
FAQ
Spivey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spivey?
Name Census estimates that about 23,262 living Americans carry the surname Spivey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,735 residents.
How common is Spivey?
Spivey ranks #1,727 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,286 people with the surname Spivey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Spivey.
Has Spivey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spivey went from 21,161 recorded bearers to 20,286. That is a decrease of 875 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,702 to #1,727.
What does the Census say about the background of Spivey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Spivey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.6% (13,103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spivey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.6%), Black (27.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Spivey (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 Spivey mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a person with an unkempt or untidy appearance. 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 Spivey (6.79 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 Spivey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.