2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spoering
A locative surname derived from a place name, likely of German or Dutch origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Spoering. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spoering 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Spoering in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spoering, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spoering
The surname Spoering is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It can be traced back to the 14th century, derived from the German word "sporen," meaning "to spur" or "to urge on." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a person involved in horse riding or related activities, such as a horse trainer or a messenger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spoering can be found in the Bavarian town records from the late 1300s, where a certain Hanns Spoering is mentioned as a resident. The name appears to have been more prevalent in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding Munich and Augsburg.
In the 16th century, there are references to a Johann Spoering, a skilled blacksmith who lived in the town of Nuremberg. His work, which included crafting horseshoes and other equestrian equipment, likely contributed to the association of the name with horse-related occupations.
The name Spoering also appears in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as tax records and church registers. One notable individual was Wilhelm Spoering (1652-1718), a prominent merchant from the city of Hamburg, who gained recognition for his successful trading ventures across Europe.
During the 19th century, the name Spoering began to spread beyond the borders of Germany. One example is Friedrich Spoering (1821-1892), a German-American immigrant who settled in Wisconsin and became a respected farmer and community leader.
Another individual of note is Elise Spoering (1870-1944), a German artist known for her intricate watercolor paintings depicting landscapes and still life scenes. Her works were widely exhibited and appreciated during her lifetime.
It is worth mentioning that the name Spoering has also been subject to variations in spelling over the centuries, including Spoering, Spöring, and Spoering. While the origins of the name can be traced back to Germany, it has since been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and even in North America, reflecting the migration patterns of those bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spoering
Among Census respondents with the surname Spoering, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Spoering 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 Spoering surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 99
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spoering
Spoering appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,953 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 6,953 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 Spoering 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 | #154,907 | #147,954 | 4.5% |
| Count | 105 | 112 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spoering bearers went from 105 to 112 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 6,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #147,954.
FAQ
Spoering surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spoering?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Spoering. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Spoering?
Spoering ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Spoering. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Spoering.
Has Spoering become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spoering went from 105 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Spoering?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spoering, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Spoering in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spoering appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Spoering (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 Spoering mean?
A locative surname derived from a place name, likely of German or Dutch origin. 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 Spoering (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 common is the surname Spoering?
If you just want to know how common the surname Spoering is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.