Explore the Family Name Spang

The meaning of Spang

1. German: metonymic occupational name for a maker of buckles, from Middle High German spange ‘clasp, buckle, ornamental fastening’. Compare Spong 3. 2. Swedish (Spång): topographic or ornamental name from spång ‘footbridge, plank’, possibly representing an element of a placename. Compare Spong 2.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Spang in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Spang has seen a minor fluctuation in popularity over the years. The rank of this surname moved from 17,001 in 2000 to 17,823 in 2010, representing a slight drop of 4.84%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased slightly from 1,540 in 2000 to 1,570 in 2010, indicating a growth of 1.95%. Despite this increase, the proportion of the Spang surname per 100,000 people decreased by 7.02% during the same period.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#17,001	#17,823	-4.84%
Count	1,540	1,570	1.95%
Proportion per 100k	0.57	0.53	-7.02%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spang

As for ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data suggests that there have been some changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Spangs identifying as white decreased by 2.43%, moving from 86.17% to 84.08%. A modest increase was observed within those who identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 10.19% to 11.53%, marking a growth of 13.15%. Those identifying as two or more races also saw an increase, from 1.62% to 2.36%, a rise of 45.68%. The percentage of Spangs identifying as Hispanic experienced a slight decrease, going from 1.49% to 1.40%, a decline of 6.04%. Meanwhile, no changes were reported for those claiming Asian/Pacific Islander or Black ethnic identities.

	2000	2010	Change
White	86.17%	84.08%	-2.43%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	10.19%	11.53%	13.15%
Two or More Races	1.62%	2.36%	45.68%
Hispanic	1.49%	1.4%	-6.04%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%