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

Spruel, 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 Spruel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spruel in America

Spruel is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spruel surname appeared 146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spruel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spruel 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 Spruel

The surname Spruel has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon territories of Britain, emerging sometime during the 9th or 10th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "spruð" and "feld," meaning "thicket" and "field" respectively, suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a dense thicket or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sprudfeld." This entry refers to a landowner or tenant in the county of Essex. It is possible that the name evolved from this early spelling over the centuries.

By the 13th century, variations of the name began to appear in various records and documents across southern England. A notable example is William Spruell, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1273. These rolls were administrative records that documented financial transactions and tax payments made to the Crown.

In the 14th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of Sir Robert Spruel, a renowned knight and landowner from Wiltshire. He was born in 1325 and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War, serving under King Edward III. Sir Robert's exploits contributed to the widespread recognition of the Spruel name throughout England.

During the 16th century, the Spruel family established themselves as successful merchants and traders in the city of London. One prominent figure from this era was Thomas Spruel (1542-1612), a wealthy wool merchant who served as an alderman and sheriff of London. His legacy is commemorated in the naming of Spruel Street, a historic lane in the heart of the city.

Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Spruel (1587-1664), a writer and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and spirituality. Her collection of poems, "Blossoms from the Garden," published in 1647, was widely acclaimed in literary circles of the time.

Over the centuries, the Spruel surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Spruell, Sprowell, Sprouell, and Sproul. While the name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonial expansion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spruel

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

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

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

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