NameCensus.

UK surname

Sperling

Derived from the German word "Sperling," meaning a sparrow, likely referring to someone who caught sparrows or was small and lively.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Sperling surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Feltham, Heston and St George in the East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Spelthorne, Coventry and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sperling is 164 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.3%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

2013

164 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sperling had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Sperling surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sperling surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sperling surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sperling over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 34 #27,194
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 89 #24,154
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 145 #24,031
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 164 #22,445
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Sperlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Feltham, Heston, St George in the East, Hedingham, Castle and Greenwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Spelthorne, Coventry, Lambeth and Wolverhampton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Feltham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Heston Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 St George in the East London (East Districts)
4 Hedingham, Castle Essex
5 Greenwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Spelthorne 003 Spelthorne
2 Spelthorne 001 Spelthorne
3 Coventry 038 Coventry
4 Lambeth 005 Lambeth
5 Wolverhampton 019 Wolverhampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sperling

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sperling surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sperling

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sperling, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Sperling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Sperling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sperling is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sperling is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sperling falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sperling is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sperling, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sperling

The surname SPERLING is of German origin, derived from the Middle Low German word "sperlink" which means "little sparrow." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname referring to someone with a small, bird-like appearance or mannerisms.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Brandenburg. One of the earliest documented examples is found in the records of the city of Leipzig in 1376, referring to a person named Hans Sperling.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical documents and records, such as the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history published in 1493. The name is also mentioned in the Stadtbuch (city book) of Görlitz, a city in eastern Germany, in the year 1487.

As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Sperlinck, Sperlingh, and Sperlingk. These variations are often found in historical records from different regions and time periods.

One notable individual with the surname SPERLING was Johann Sperling (1603-1658), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as the Rector of the University of Wittenberg. Another was Otto Sperling (1634-1717), a German philologist and historian who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with individuals like Johann Sperling (1705-1766), a German theologian and author, and Johann Christian Sperling (1753-1811), a German pharmacist and botanist who made important contributions to the study of medicinal plants.

The SPERLING surname also appears in historical records from other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Poland, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For example, Joachim Sperling (1573-1620) was a Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Leiden, while Jan Sperling (1640-1712) was a notable Polish architect and sculptor.

Throughout history, the surname SPERLING has been associated with various professions and fields, including law, academia, theology, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sperling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sperling surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 45 Sperlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.79x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 6.79x
Essex 7 5.35x
Devon 3 2.17x
Oxfordshire 3 7.33x
Cambridgeshire 2 4.76x
Kent 2 0.88x
Cheshire 1 0.68x
Dorset 1 2.30x
Huntingdonshire 1 7.59x
Surrey 1 0.31x
Sussex 1 0.89x
Warwickshire 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 8 Sperlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.77x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 8 27.77x
St George In East 8 177.38x
Castle Hedingham 7 2916.67x
Kensington London 6 16.27x
Shoreditch London 6 20.87x
Hackney London 5 13.45x
St Pancras London 4 7.49x
Heston 3 136.36x
Oxford St Giles 2 102.56x
Papworth St Agnes 2 6666.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 18.81x
St George Hanover 2 23.09x
Aston 1 2.17x
Clerkenwell London 1 6.39x
Diddington 1 2000.00x
Eastbourne 1 19.46x
Henley On Thames 1 119.05x
Lambeth 1 1.73x
Paddington London 1 4.10x
Parkstone 1 196.08x
Plymouth Charles The 1 16.45x
St Marylebone London 1 2.82x
Swanscombe 1 98.04x
Tonbridge 1 12.25x
Wallasey 1 200.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sperling surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sperling surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Aaron 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Emanuel 1
Eric 1
Ernst 1
Feodor 1
Frederick 1
Gottfied 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Lesser 1
Nathan 1
Reginald 1
Rochfort 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
St.John 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sperling households.

FAQ

Sperling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sperling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Sperling surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sperling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Sperling a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Sperling surname mean?

Derived from the German word "Sperling," meaning a sparrow, likely referring to someone who caught sparrows or was small and lively.

What does the Sperling map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sperling bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.