2000
#8,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,667
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Springs
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a spring or natural water source.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,245 Americans carry the last name Springs. That puts it at #8,531 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,743 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Springs 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Springs with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 80,743
Census rank
#8,531
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,702 bearers of the surname Springs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8531st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Springs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Springs
The surname SPRINGS is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in England. It is believed to have originated as a habitational name, referring to individuals who lived near a natural spring or well. The word "spring" was derived from the Old English term "spring," which means a natural source of water emerging from the ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPRINGS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, where a certain Henry de la Springe is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a specific location or place called "Spring" or "Springe."
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties in England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a William atte Sprenge was listed in 1327. The prefix "atte" was commonly used at that time to indicate someone's place of residence or origin.
As time passed, the surname evolved, and different spellings emerged, such as Springe, Sprynge, and eventually, the modern form SPRINGS. This evolution is often attributed to variations in dialects, scribal errors, and the gradual standardization of English spelling.
One notable individual bearing the surname SPRINGS was John Springs, a 16th-century English publisher and bookseller active in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is credited with publishing several notable works, including Sir Philip Sidney's "Arcadia" in 1590.
Another prominent figure was Sir William Spring, a 17th-century English lawyer and politician who served as the Recorder of Bristol from 1633 to 1642. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Reverend Samuel Springs (1718-1800) was a renowned Presbyterian minister and educator in Pennsylvania, USA. He served as the president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) from 1768 to 1775.
The 19th century saw the rise of Thomas Springs (1842-1911), a successful English businessman and industrialist who founded the Springs Cotton Mills in Lancashire, which became a major textile manufacturing company.
In more recent times, Rachel Springs (1923-2014) was an American actress and singer known for her roles on Broadway and in various television shows throughout the 20th century.
While these are just a few examples, the surname SPRINGS has a rich history spanning centuries and continents, reflecting the diverse lives and accomplishments of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Springs
Among Census respondents with the surname Springs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Springs 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 Springs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American45.4% · 1,679
- White42.7% · 1,580
- Two or more races7.1% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Springs
Springs 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
#8,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,911
+244 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#8,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,702
-209 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,307 | 3,667 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,446 | 3,911 | 1.33 | +244 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #8,531 | 3,702 | 1.24 | -209 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 85 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 Springs 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 | #8,446 | #8,531 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,911 | 3,702 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.24 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Springs bearers went from 3,911 to 3,702 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,446 to #8,531.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Springs
FAQ
Springs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Springs?
Name Census estimates that about 4,245 living Americans carry the surname Springs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,743 residents.
How common is Springs?
Springs ranks #8,531 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,702 people with the surname Springs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Springs.
Has Springs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Springs went from 3,911 recorded bearers to 3,702. That is a decrease of 209 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,446 to #8,531.
What does the Census say about the background of Springs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Springs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Springs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.4% (1,679 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Springs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (45.4%), White (42.7%), Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Springs (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 Springs mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a spring or natural water source. 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 Springs (1.24 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 Americans have the surname Springs?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.