Explore the Family Name Sprague
The meaning of Sprague
English (Devon): nickname from Middle English sprag ‘brisk, energetic’, a variant of Sprake with voicing of the -k-, which survives in the 19th-century dialect word spragg ‘lively, ingenious’. It was occasionally used in the 12th century as personal name, recorded as Spreg’ c.1177–86. History: William Sprague came from England to Salem, MA, in 1628 with his brothers Ralph and Richard. He was one of the founders of Charlestown, MA, and later of Hingham, MA. His descendants include Peleg Sprague, a jurist and MA legislator, who was born in 1793 in Duxbury, MA; William Sprague a textile manufacturer born in 1773 in Cranston, RI; and Yale College educator Homer Baxter Sprague, who was born in 1829 in South Sutton, MA, and whose legacy lives on in Yale’s Sprague concert hall.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sprague in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Sprague saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname fell from 1466 in 2000 to 1584 in 2010, marking a change of -8.05%. However, despite this drop in rank, the number of people with the Sprague surname actually increased from 22,283 in 2000 to 22,610 in 2010, which is an increase of 1.47%. The proportion per 100k also decreased by -7.26 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,466 | #1,584 | -8.05% |
| Count | 22,283 | 22,610 | 1.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.26 | 7.66 | -7.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sprague
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Sprague has seen some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census. While a majority of individuals with the surname identified as White (95.07% in 2000 and 93.62% in 2010), there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander. The percentage of Hispanics rose from 1.74% in 2000 to 2.45% in 2010, marking an increase of 40.80%, while the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased by 29.17% from 0.48% to 0.62%. There was also a minor increase in the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with changes of 24.32% and 8.33% respectively. The group identifying as two or more races also saw an increase from 1.26% to 1.61%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.07% | 93.62% | -1.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.74% | 2.45% | 40.8% |
| Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1.61% | 27.78% |
| Black | 0.74% | 0.92% | 24.32% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.78% | 8.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.62% | 29.17% |
Sprague ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Sprague is British & Irish, which comprises 51.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.9%) and Scandinavian (5.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.6% |
| French & German | 26.9% |
| Scandinavian | 5.3% |
| Other | 16.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Sprague
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Sprague have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
What Sprague haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Sprague is R-S3933, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S3933 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S12025 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Timmons, Jenks, Smithson, Kirby, Hightower, Shackelford, Tribble, Spriggs, Freeland, Waddell.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sprague surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Sprague have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Sprague" Surname 47.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Sprague" Surname 24.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sprague" Surname 21.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Sprague" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sprague?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Sprague are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition