Explore the Family Name Speller
The meaning of Speller
1. English and South German: occupational name for a reciter, speaker, or story-teller, from an agent derivative of Middle English spell(en), Middle High German spellen ‘to tell or relate’. In the case of the English surname there has probably been some confusion with Spiller. 2. German: habitational name for someone from Spelle near Rheine (Lower Saxony). 3. English: variant of Spiller 1 and 2. 4. English: occupational or nickname from Middle English speller(e) ‘one who can spell’, perhaps also ‘interpreter, one who can explain the written word’, a derivative of Anglo-Norman French espeleir ‘to mean, signify; to explain, interpret’. Such a name would be suitable for a clerk or for someone who pretended to have clerical skills, but it is unlikely to be the main source of the modern name.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Speller in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Speller saw a modest increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Speller was ranked 12,047th most common surname, but by 2010 it had improved its standing to become the 11,743rd most common surname, reflecting a positive change of 2.52%. The count of individuals with the Speller surname also grew from 2,377 in 2000 to 2,668 in 2010, an increase of 12.24%. The proportion of Spelllers per 100k people also rose slightly, up 2.27% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,047 | #11,743 | 2.52% |
| Count | 2,377 | 2,668 | 12.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.88 | 0.9 | 2.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Speller
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Speller, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting trends. While the majority of individuals with the surname identified as Black (76.82% in 2000 reduced slightly to 73.84% in 2010), there was growth in other ethnic identities. The proportion identifying as White increased by 5.44%, while the percentage identifying as Hispanic surged by 74.42%. There was also a slight uptick in individuals identifying as being of two or more races, which rose by 20.14%. Meanwhile, the number who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained steady at zero throughout the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 76.82% | 73.84% | -3.88% |
| White | 18.38% | 19.38% | 5.44% |
| Two or More Races | 2.78% | 3.34% | 20.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.72% | 3% | 74.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |