2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spyrka
A polonized variant of the German surname Speer, derived from an occupational name for a maker of spears or lances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Spyrka. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spyrka 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Spyrka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spyrka
The surname Spyrka originated in the region of Silesia, which is now located in modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. The name dates back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Polish word "spyrka," which refers to a type of clasp or buckle. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals involved in the metalworking or jewelry-making trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spyrka name can be found in the Grunberg Parish Records from the year 1568, where it appears as "Spyrca." This early spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that time period, as they were often subject to phonetic variations and regional dialects.
In the 17th century, the Spyrka name began to appear more frequently in historical records across Silesia. Notable examples include the birth record of Johann Spyrka in 1643 in the town of Ohlau (now Oława, Poland) and the marriage record of Caspar Spyrka and Anna Margaretha Hänsch in 1685 in the city of Glogau (now Głogów, Poland).
As the centuries progressed, the Spyrka surname spread beyond its initial roots in Silesia. In the 18th century, records show individuals bearing the name in various parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, including the regions of Lesser Poland and Mazovia.
One notable individual from this period was Jan Spyrka (1708-1783), a Polish military officer who served in the army of King Augustus III of Poland. He is recorded as having participated in several campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and the Prussian forces during the War of the Austrian Succession.
In the 19th century, the Spyrka name continued to be found throughout various parts of Central Europe, with records indicating individuals living in areas such as Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) and Prussia (now parts of modern-day Germany and Poland).
One prominent figure from this era was Wilhelm Spyrka (1826-1901), a German-born businessman and philanthropist. He established a successful textile manufacturing company in the city of Łódź, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Spyrka was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the funding of hospitals and schools in the region.
As the 20th century dawned, the Spyrka surname continued to be represented across various parts of Europe, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as academia, the arts, and politics.
One notable example is Karol Spyrka (1906-1988), a Polish composer and music educator who taught at the Kraków Academy of Music. His works included compositions for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments.
Another prominent figure was Józef Spyrka (1924-2018), a Polish politician and economist who served as a member of the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament) and held various ministerial positions in the government throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spyrka
Among Census respondents with the surname Spyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Spyrka 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 Spyrka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spyrka
Spyrka 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+16 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,104 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-14 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 7,104 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 12,450 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 Spyrka 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 | #141,140 | #153,590 | -8.8% |
| Count | 118 | 104 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spyrka bearers went from 118 to 104 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 12,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #153,590.
FAQ
Spyrka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spyrka?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Spyrka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Spyrka?
Spyrka ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Spyrka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Spyrka.
Has Spyrka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spyrka went from 118 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Spyrka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Spyrka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spyrka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Spyrka (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 Spyrka mean?
A polonized variant of the German surname Speer, derived from an occupational name for a maker of spears or lances. 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 Spyrka (0.03 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 have the surname Spyrka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.