2000
#189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 49.84
Common Last name
Spencer
An occupational surname referring to someone who dispensed supplies or provisions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155,393 Americans carry the last name Spencer. That puts it at #208 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 45.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spencer 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 Spencer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
155K
1 in 2,206
Census rank
#208
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
45.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
136K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135,510 bearers of the surname Spencer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 45.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 208th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spencer, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spencer
The surname Spencer originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "despenser," meaning "steward" or "officer in charge of provisions." The name likely emerged from the occupation of a household steward or butler.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spencer surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, referring to a person named William le Despenser. The name was also found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript survey of England completed in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror.
In the 13th century, the Spencer family rose to prominence in England, with members holding important positions in the royal court. One notable figure was Hugh le Despenser (c. 1262-1326), a powerful nobleman and the chief adviser to King Edward II. He was executed during the reign of Edward III for his alleged abuse of power and influence over the king.
Another prominent Spencer was Henry Spencer (c. 1517-1591), a member of the landed gentry in Northamptonshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. His descendants played influential roles in English politics and society over the following centuries.
In the 17th century, Robert Spencer (1570-1627), a wealthy landowner from Northamptonshire, was created Baron Spencer of Wormleighton in 1603. His son, Henry Spencer (1620-1643), was killed in the English Civil War while fighting for the Royalist cause.
The Spencer family continued to hold significant wealth and influence in England, with several members serving as Members of Parliament and holding various titles and estates. One of the most famous Spencers was Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), who was born Diana Spencer before her marriage to Prince Charles.
Other notable individuals with the Spencer surname include Gilbert Spencer (1892-1979), a British painter and etcher; Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-1599), an English poet best known for his epic work "The Faerie Queene"; and Lilian Spencer (1898-1981), an American chemist and the first African American woman to earn a doctoral degree in chemistry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spencer
Among Census respondents with the surname Spencer, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Spencer 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 Spencer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.8% · 90,575
- Black or African American22.7% · 30,717
- Two or more races4.6% · 6,205
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 5,054
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 1,783
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1,176
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spencer
Spencer 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
#199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139,951
+5,508 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 47.44
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135,510
-4,441 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 45.34
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #189 | 134,443 | 49.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #199 | 139,951 | 47.44 | +5,508 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #208 | 135,510 | 45.34 | -4,441 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 9 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 Spencer 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 | #199 | #208 | -4.5% |
| Count | 139,951 | 135,510 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 47.44 | 45.34 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spencer bearers went from 139,951 to 135,510 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #199 to #208.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Spencer
FAQ
Spencer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spencer?
Name Census estimates that about 155,393 living Americans carry the surname Spencer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,206 residents.
How common is Spencer?
Spencer ranks #208 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 45.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 45 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 135,510 people with the surname Spencer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155,393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 45.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 45.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 45 of them to have the surname Spencer.
Has Spencer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spencer went from 139,951 recorded bearers to 135,510. That is a decrease of 4,441 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #199 to #208.
What does the Census say about the background of Spencer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spencer, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Spencer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.8% (90,575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spencer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.8%), Black (22.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Spencer (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 Spencer mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who dispensed supplies or provisions. 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 Spencer (45.34 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 Spencer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.