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

Spratt, 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 Spratt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spratt in America

Spratt is the 7157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spratt surname appeared 4,674 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Spratt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spratt 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 Spratt

The surname Spratt is of English origin, deriving from a nickname derived from the Middle English word "sprat," which referred to a small fish or a small, insignificant person. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century.

The name Spratt was initially concentrated in the southern counties of England, particularly in Kent, Sussex, and Surrey. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive nickname, possibly referring to someone of small stature or someone who bore a resemblance to the small fish.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spratt can be found in medieval records and tax rolls. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a John Spratt, while the Subsidy Rolls of Kent from 1334 list a Thomas Spratt.

In the 16th century, the surname Spratt gained notable recognition through the work of Thomas Spratt, an English churchman and scholar who was born in 1635 and died in 1713. He served as the Bishop of Rochester and was a prominent writer and historian.

Another notable figure with the surname Spratt was Ralph Spratt, an English architect and sculptor who lived from 1576 to 1623. He is best known for his work on the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the Chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge.

The name Spratt also appears in various place names and old spellings of place names. For example, the hamlet of Spratsgate in Kent is believed to have derived its name from the surname Spratt, indicating a historical presence of the family in that area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Spratt include:

1. George Spratt (1784-1857), an English cricketer who played for Sussex.
2. Thomas Spratt (1635-1713), the Bishop of Rochester mentioned earlier.
3. James Spratt (1771-1853), an English manufacturer and entrepreneur who founded the Spratt's dog food company.
4. Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt (1811-1888), an English naval officer and hydrographer who surveyed parts of the Mediterranean Sea.
5. Richard Spratt (1817-1888), an English-born Australian politician and judge who served as the Attorney-General of Victoria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spratt

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

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

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

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