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

Sporn, 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 Sporn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sporn in America

Sporn is the 49177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sporn surname appeared 428 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 Sporn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sporn 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 Sporn

The surname Sporn is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Sporen" or "Sporn."

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, dated around 1380, where a certain "Hans Sporen" is mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

The name Sporn is thought to be derived from the Old German word "sporn," which means "spur" or "goad." This connection implies that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with spurs or goads, possibly in the context of horseback riding or animal husbandry.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records across Bavaria and neighboring regions. For instance, a "Hanns Sporn" is mentioned in a document from the town of Regensburg in 1422, and a "Peter Sporn" is listed among the residents of the city of Augsburg in 1487.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Spohren" or "Spohrn." However, the core pronunciation and meaning remained largely unchanged.

One notable figure bearing the surname Sporn was Johann Sporn, a German composer and organist who lived from 1591 to 1668. He was known for his contributions to sacred music and served as the court organist in Dresden.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Sporn, a German engineer and inventor who lived from 1795 to 1871. He is credited with developing several improvements to the process of manufacturing cast iron, which had a significant impact on the industrial revolution in Germany.

In the 19th century, the name Sporn also appeared in the records of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One example is Anton Sporn, an Austrian politician and lawyer who lived from 1833 to 1892 and served as a member of the Imperial Council.

Moving further back in time, the surname Sporn can be traced to the village of Spornitz in Saxony, which dates back to the 13th century. It is believed that the name may have originated from this place name, with early bearers being identified by their place of origin.

Another notable figure with the surname Sporn was Wilhelm Sporn, a German artist and painter who lived from 1863 to 1924. He was known for his landscape paintings and worked in the Impressionist style, contributing to the development of German Impressionism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sporn

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

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 Sporn 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 Sporn 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 Sporn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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