Explore the Family Name Spark
The meaning of Spark
1. English: nickname from Middle English spark, sperk ‘fiery particle, spark’ (Old English spearca, spærca, sperca). It may have been used of a lively person or ironically of its opposite (such as Willelmus Dulle Sperke, 1293); or it may have been given to someone who created sparks, such as a blacksmith. 2. English: topographic name for someone who lived by an area of shrubs or brushwood, from Middle English sparke, sperke, Old English spearca. The term appears in placenames across England, including Sparkhayne and Sparkwell in Devon, a county where the surname Spark is well evidenced. 3. German: nickname either from Middle High German spar ‘sparrow’ (see Sparrow) or from Middle Low German sparke ‘spark’. Compare 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Spark in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Spark has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 40,139th and fell to 45,347th by 2010, a decline of approximately 13%. The number of individuals with this surname also decreased during this period, from 514 in 2000 to 472 in 2010, seeing an 8.17% drop. This suggests that the surname Spark was less commonly used in 2010 compared to a decade earlier.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40,139 | #45,347 | -12.97% |
| Count | 514 | 472 | -8.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.16 | -15.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spark
Regarding its ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the last name Spark identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, although there was a slight decrease from 88.52% to 84.11%. There was a notable increase in the percentage of Sparks who identified as Hispanic, rising from 1.75% in 2000 to 4.03% in 2010. Additionally, those identifying as Black went up from 7.59% to 9.53%. However, no Sparks identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.52% | 84.11% | -4.98% |
| Black | 7.59% | 9.53% | 25.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.75% | 4.03% | 130.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 1.48% | -15.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |