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

Spray, 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 Spray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spray in America

Spray is the 11122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spray surname appeared 2,851 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Spray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spray 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 Spray

The surname SPRAY has its origins in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spræc," meaning a small branch or twig, potentially alluding to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPRAY can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a John Spray was mentioned in 1584. The name also appeared in the Gloucestershire County Records, with a Thomas Spray being documented in 1596.

SPRAY is thought to have been initially concentrated in the counties of Suffolk, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, although it eventually spread to other parts of England. The surname may have originated from a locational name, such as "Spray's Meadow" or "Spray's Farm," referring to a place where a person named Spray once lived.

In the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname SPRAY. However, the book does record several place names that could have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Spree in Bedfordshire and Sprey in Devonshire.

Notable individuals with the surname SPRAY throughout history include:

1. John Spray (c. 1570-1627), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Manuall of the Study of Certaine Passages of the Holy Scriptures."

2. Samuel Spray (1779-1853), an English engraver and artist, known for his illustrations of plants and botanical specimens.

3. William Spray (1823-1886), a British architect and surveyor, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the former Strand Theatre.

4. Hilda Spray (1876-1949), an English painter and illustrator, known for her landscape paintings and illustrations for children's books.

5. Ethel Spray (1888-1962), a British artist and sculptor, known for her bronze and stone sculptures, often depicting animals and mythological figures.

The surname SPRAY has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Sprayleigh in Devonshire and Spraytonbury in Somerset, further reinforcing its connection to specific geographical locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spray

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

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

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

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