2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Spottsville
A surname denoting someone from a place called Spottsville.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Spottsville. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spottsville 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Spottsville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spottsville, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spottsville
The surname "SPOTTSVILLE" has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "spot" and "ville," which together referred to a settlement or village situated near a prominent landmark or geographical feature.
One of the earliest records of this name can be found in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Worcestershire, where a certain John Spottsville was listed as a churchwarden in 1589. The name's connection to a specific location is further evidenced by the village of Spottsville in Gloucestershire, which likely gave rise to the surname.
During the late 17th century, the Spottsville family seems to have gained prominence in the county of Wiltshire, with several members appearing in local land records and tax rolls. A notable figure from this period was William Spottsville (1632-1705), a prosperous landowner and magistrate in the town of Warminster.
In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of England, with documented instances in Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable bearer was Reverend Thomas Spottsville (1706-1782), a renowned clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Leeds.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold, some members of the Spottsville family ventured abroad, with records indicating their presence in the British colonies of North America and the Caribbean. A significant figure from this era was Captain James Spottsville (1755-1824), a naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the surname Spottsville continued to be found across various regions of England, with several individuals making contributions in fields such as academia, law, and business. One prominent figure was Sir George Spottsville (1821-1897), a renowned barrister and judge who presided over several high-profile cases in the latter half of the century.
While the surname Spottsville is not among the most common in modern times, its historical roots and geographical connections provide a fascinating glimpse into the rich tapestry of English heritage and the evolution of family names over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spottsville
Among Census respondents with the surname Spottsville, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Spottsville 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 Spottsville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.4% · 91
- Two or more races10.3% · 12
- White4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spottsville
Spottsville 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-8 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,793 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 14,793 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,701 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 Spottsville 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 | #137,327 | #145,028 | -5.6% |
| Count | 122 | 116 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spottsville bearers went from 122 to 116 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,701 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,028.
FAQ
Spottsville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spottsville?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Spottsville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Spottsville?
Spottsville ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Spottsville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Spottsville.
Has Spottsville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spottsville went from 122 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Spottsville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spottsville, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (4.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Spottsville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spottsville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.4%), Two or More Races (10.3%), White (4.3%). 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 Spottsville (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 Spottsville mean?
A surname denoting someone from a place called Spottsville. 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 Spottsville (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 many people are called Spottsville?
See how many people have the surname Spottsville on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.