2000
#5,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,807
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.15
Rare Last name
Spinks
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold spikes or nails.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,409 Americans carry the last name Spinks. That puts it at #5,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spinks 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 Spinks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,480
Census rank
#5,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,589 bearers of the surname Spinks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spinks
The surname Spinks is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "spinc," which means a small bird such as a finch or sparrow. This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a small, bird-like appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Spinc." This entry likely refers to a place name rather than a personal name, but it provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the Norman era.
As the name evolved over time, various spellings emerged, including Spink, Spinks, and Spynks. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling that were common before the standardization of English spelling in the 18th century.
Historically, the Spinks surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Spynks, a merchant who lived in London in the 14th century and was mentioned in various trade records of the time.
Another prominent figure was John Spinks, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. He played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of the town during his tenure.
In the 18th century, Samuel Spinks (1720-1793) was a renowned engraver and printmaker based in London. His work included illustrations for books and magazines, as well as portraits and landscapes.
Moving into the 19th century, Sarah Spinks (1833-1907) was a notable English novelist and poet. She wrote several novels that explored themes of love, family, and social issues, and her work was well-received during her lifetime.
Lastly, one of the most famous bearers of the Spinks surname was Michael Spinks (1956-2022), an American professional boxer who won multiple world championships in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of his era and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.
While the Spinks surname may have humble beginnings as a nickname related to small birds, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history, from religion and literature to the arts and sports.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spinks
Among Census respondents with the surname Spinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Spinks 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 Spinks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.9% · 3,685
- Black or African American24.1% · 1,346
- Two or more races4.9% · 275
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 210
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spinks
Spinks 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
#5,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,868
+61 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#5,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,589
-279 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,504 | 5,807 | 2.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,881 | 5,868 | 1.99 | +61 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #5,935 | 5,589 | 1.87 | -279 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 54 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 Spinks 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 | #5,881 | #5,935 | -0.9% |
| Count | 5,868 | 5,589 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.99 | 1.87 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spinks bearers went from 5,868 to 5,589 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,881 to #5,935.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Spinks
FAQ
Spinks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spinks?
Name Census estimates that about 6,409 living Americans carry the surname Spinks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,480 residents.
How common is Spinks?
Spinks ranks #5,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,589 people with the surname Spinks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,409), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Spinks.
Has Spinks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spinks went from 5,868 recorded bearers to 5,589. That is a decrease of 279 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,881 to #5,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Spinks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Spinks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (3,685 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spinks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.9%), Black (24.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Spinks (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 Spinks mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold spikes or nails. 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 Spinks (1.87 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 Spinks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.