2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Spuller
An occupational surname derived from the German word "spule" meaning "spool" or "bobbin", referring to someone involved in spinning or weaving.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Spuller. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spuller 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Spuller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spuller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spuller
The surname "SPULLER" is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, specifically in Bavaria and parts of Austria, around the 13th century.
The name "SPULLER" is derived from the German word "spulen," which means "to spool" or "to wind." It is likely that the name was initially given to individuals who worked as spinners or weavers, as their profession involved winding and spooling threads or yarns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SPULLER" can be found in the "Stadtbücher" (town books) of Nuremberg, which date back to the 14th century. These municipal records mention several individuals with the surname, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 16th century, the name "SPULLER" appeared in various historical records, including church registers and tax rolls. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Hans Spuller, a merchant from Augsburg, who lived from 1512 to 1587, and Margaretha Spuller, a respected midwife from Freiburg, who practiced her profession in the late 1500s.
During the 17th century, the name "SPULLER" continued to spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions. Johann Spuller, a renowned clockmaker from Ulm, lived from 1629 to 1703 and was known for his intricate and accurate timepieces.
In the 18th century, the name "SPULLER" gained prominence in the literary world. Friedrich Spuller, a German poet and playwright, was born in 1763 and gained recognition for his satirical works and critiques of society at the time.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "SPULLER" continued to be associated with various professions and individuals. In the 19th century, Gustav Spuller, a German politician and statesman, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the German Empire from 1897 to 1900.
While the name "SPULLER" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, the historical records and mentions mentioned above provide insights into the origin, evolution, and significance of this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spuller
Among Census respondents with the surname Spuller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Spuller 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 Spuller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 98
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spuller
Spuller 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-14 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,329 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 21,329 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Spuller 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spuller bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Spuller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spuller?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Spuller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Spuller?
Spuller ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Spuller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Spuller.
Has Spuller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spuller went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Spuller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spuller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Spuller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spuller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Spuller (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 Spuller mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "spule" meaning "spool" or "bobbin", referring to someone involved in spinning or weaving. 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 Spuller (0.04 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 common is the surname Spuller?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Spuller is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.