Explore the Family Name Spotswood
The meaning of Spotswood
Scottish: habitational name from Spottiswoode in Westruther (Berwickshire). The placename may be from an unrecorded personal name Spott + Old English wudu ‘wood’, but there is also a Scots usage of spot in placenames to mean ‘small area or extent of land’. History: All bearers of this surname are probably descended from Robert de Spotswood (flourished c.1300). — Alexander Spotswood, a British army officer born in Tangiers in 1676, was appointed lieutenant governor of VA in 1710, was removed from office in 1722 for his support of VA colonists, and died in Annapolis, MD, while raising a colonial regiment to fight the Spanish.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Spotswood in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Spotswood has seen a slight decrease in the past decade. In 2000, it ranked 58,397 and slipped to 64,891 by 2010, marking an 11.12% decrease. As far as usage goes, there were 325 instances of this surname in 2000, which then fell to 306 by 2010, indicating a decline of 5.85%. The proportion of people with the Spotswood surname per 100k also decreased by 16.67%, from 0.12% in 2000 to 0.1% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #58,397 | #64,891 | -11.12% |
| Count | 325 | 306 | -5.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.1 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spotswood
The ethnicity associated with the surname Spotswood, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. Although there are no recorded individuals with Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities, there were changes in the White, Hispanic, and Black categories. The percentage of individuals identifying as White dropped slightly from 82.15% to 80.72%, down by 1.74%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic rose by 52.09%, from 2.15% to 3.27%. Lastly, the percentage of individuals identifying as Black increased modestly from 13.54% to 14.05%, a change of 3.77%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.15% | 80.72% | -1.74% |
| Black | 13.54% | 14.05% | 3.77% |
| Hispanic | 2.15% | 3.27% | 52.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |