2000
#13,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,043
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Sprayberry
A locational surname derived from a place where berries or fruit grew abundantly, likely near a stream or river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,215 Americans carry the last name Sprayberry. That puts it at #14,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sprayberry 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
2.2K
1 in 154,742
Census rank
#14,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,932 bearers of the surname Sprayberry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sprayberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sprayberry
The surname Sprayberry has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sprægge" meaning "branch" and "berg" meaning "hill or mound." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mound covered with branches or shrubs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "Radulphus de Sprayburgh." This indicates that the name was initially spelled with a "gh" ending and may have been associated with a specific place name.
By the 14th century, variations of the name began to appear in other historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1379, which mentions a "John Spraybery." This spelling, with the "y" ending, is closer to the modern form of the name.
In the 15th century, the Sprayberry surname can be found in the Register of the Gild of the Holy Cross in Stratford-upon-Avon, where a "Thomas Spraybury" is listed as a member in 1490. This suggests that the name was present in the West Midlands region of England during this period.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Sprayberry (c. 1540-1610), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Gloucestershire. He served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local politics during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual with the Sprayberry surname was Richard Sprayberry (1670-1734), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Chesterton in Oxfordshire. He published several theological works and was known for his sermons.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, including a baptism record for a "John Sprayberry" in Burford, Oxfordshire, in 1724. This indicates that the name continued to be present in the same region where it was first recorded centuries earlier.
Throughout the 19th century, individuals with the Sprayberry surname can be found in various records, such as census data and marriage registers, scattered across different counties in England, suggesting that the name had spread more widely across the country by this point.
One notable figure from this period was William Sprayberry (1810-1892), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and other parts of England. His works included the Holy Trinity Church in Kensington and the Marylebone Town Hall.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sprayberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Sprayberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sprayberry 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 Sprayberry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 1,781
- Two or more races3.3% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sprayberry
Sprayberry 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
#14,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,113
+70 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 581 places
2020
#14,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,932
-181 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,627 | 2,043 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,208 | 2,113 | 0.72 | +70 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 581 places |
| 2020 | #14,757 | 1,932 | 0.65 | -181 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 549 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 Sprayberry 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 | #14,208 | #14,757 | -3.9% |
| Count | 2,113 | 1,932 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.65 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sprayberry bearers went from 2,113 to 1,932 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 549 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,208 to #14,757.
FAQ
Sprayberry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sprayberry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,215 living Americans carry the surname Sprayberry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,742 residents.
How common is Sprayberry?
Sprayberry ranks #14,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,932 people with the surname Sprayberry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sprayberry.
Has Sprayberry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sprayberry went from 2,113 recorded bearers to 1,932. That is a decrease of 181 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,208 to #14,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Sprayberry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sprayberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sprayberry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (1,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sprayberry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Sprayberry (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 Sprayberry mean?
A locational surname derived from a place where berries or fruit grew abundantly, likely near a stream or river. 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 Sprayberry (0.65 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 Sprayberry?
Want to know how many people are called Sprayberry? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.