2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sponberg
A Swedish surname derived from words meaning "sponge hill" or "spongy mountain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Sponberg. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sponberg 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Sponberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sponberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sponberg
The surname Sponberg is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Spohnberg, located in the southern region of Germany, near the border with Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the village of Spohnberg, where a family bearing the name Sponberg is mentioned in the late 1500s. These records suggest that the name may have evolved from a variation of the town's name, perhaps due to differences in regional dialects or misspellings over time.
The name Sponberg is also thought to have connections to the German word "Spohn," which was an old term used to describe a type of wood shingle or roof tile. This implies that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade related to the production or installation of these materials.
In the 17th century, the Sponberg name appears in various historical documents across Germany, including tax records and legal proceedings. One notable figure from this era was Hans Sponberg (1620-1692), a respected craftsman and woodworker who was renowned for his intricate carvings and furniture designs.
As the Sponberg family grew and dispersed throughout Germany, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Sponberger, Sponberg, and Spohnberg. This was common for many surnames during that period, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet widely adopted.
In the 19th century, several members of the Sponberg family made their mark in various fields. Johann Sponberg (1802-1879) was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar who authored several influential texts on German civil law. His contemporary, Wilhelm Sponberg (1815-1892), was a renowned architect and urban planner, credited with designing several iconic buildings and city layouts in various German cities.
Another notable figure was Anna Sponberg (1848-1923), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and educational institutions, and was a vocal supporter of increasing access to education for girls and women in Germany.
Throughout the 20th century, the Sponberg name continued to appear in various fields, including science, academia, and the arts. However, due to the scope of this request, specific details about more recent individuals will not be included.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sponberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Sponberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sponberg 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 Sponberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 6
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sponberg
Sponberg 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,969 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-20 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,969 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 16,454 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 Sponberg 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 | #139,228 | #155,682 | -11.8% |
| Count | 120 | 100 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sponberg bearers went from 120 to 100 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 16,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #155,682.
FAQ
Sponberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sponberg?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Sponberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Sponberg?
Sponberg ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Sponberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sponberg.
Has Sponberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sponberg went from 120 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Sponberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sponberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Sponberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sponberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Sponberg (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 Sponberg mean?
A Swedish surname derived from words meaning "sponge hill" or "spongy mountain." 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 Sponberg (0.03 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 Sponberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.