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

Spurling, 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 Spurling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spurling in America

Spurling is the 11312th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spurling surname appeared 2,792 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 Spurling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spurling 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 Spurling

The surname Spurling originates from England and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "spur" and "ling," which collectively translate to "dweller by the ridge of land." The earliest known records of the name come from the county of Dorset, specifically the area around Shaftesbury.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1256, which mention a William Spurling. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273 list a John Spurling as a landowner in the village of Burnham.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Spurlynge, Spurlyng, and Spurlinge, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Spurling, a monk recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1347, and William Spurling, a merchant mentioned in the Chancery Rolls of London in 1392.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spurling name became more widespread across southern England. Thomas Spurling (1543-1617) was a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Berkshire, while John Spurling (1619-1688) was a renowned Puritan minister and author in Wiltshire.

In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with the rise of Sir John Spurling (1718-1792), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Bridport, Dorset. Another notable figure was William Spurling (1738-1815), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

As the surname spread throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the colonies in North America and beyond. Notable bearers of the name in later centuries include Samuel Spurling (1821-1891), an influential educator and author in New York, and Sir John Spurling (1870-1948), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spurling

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!