Find out how popular the last name Spoo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Spoo.

Spoo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Spoo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spoo in America

Spoo is the 59742nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spoo surname appeared 338 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spoo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spoo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Spoo

The surname SPOO is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from an Old English word "spoo" or "spo" which referred to a small or insignificant thing. It may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone of small stature or someone who was perceived as insignificant in their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPOO can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxable assets compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Godric Spoo in the county of Essex.

By the 13th century, the name had spread to various parts of England, with records showing variations in spelling such as Spoo, Spowe, and Spowe. In 1287, a document from the city of York mentions a merchant named Richard Spowe, indicating the presence of the name in urban areas.

The name SPOO is also associated with several place names in England, such as Spoo Farm in Nottinghamshire and Spoo Lane in Derbyshire. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.

Notable individuals with the surname SPOO include Sir John Spoo (1542-1620), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another noteworthy figure was Mary Spoo (1675-1745), a renowned herbalist and midwife who practiced in the county of Kent.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SPOO surname gained recognition in the arts and literature. William Spoo (1710-1785) was an acclaimed playwright and poet, while his contemporary, Elizabeth Spoo (1721-1798), was a respected writer and philosopher.

In more recent history, the SPOO surname has been carried by several accomplished academics and scholars. One example is Professor Robert Spoo (born 1952), a renowned literary critic and expert on copyright law at the University of Tulsa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spoo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Spoo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Spoo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Spoo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Spoo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Spoo, please contact us.

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