Find out how popular the last name Staaf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Staaf.

Staaf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Staaf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Staaf in America

Staaf is the 113791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Staaf surname appeared 154 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Staaf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Staaf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Staaf

The surname Staaf has its origins in Sweden, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Swedish word "stav," which means "staff" or "stick." This could indicate that the name was originally an occupational name for someone who worked with staffs or sticks, such as a shepherd or a walker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Staaf can be found in the Swedish church records from the late 16th century. These records show that the name was present in various parts of Sweden, particularly in the regions of Småland and Västergötland.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Staaf began to spread to other parts of Sweden and was also found in some historical documents from that time period. For example, there is a record of a man named Peder Staaf who was born in 1662 and served as a soldier in the Swedish army during the Great Northern War.

In the 19th century, the Staaf surname became more widely known due to a few notable individuals who bore this name. One such person was Carl Staaf (1815-1888), a Swedish politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice and the Governor of Stockholm County.

Another notable figure was Kristina Staaf (1856-1928), a Swedish feminist and educator who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in Sweden. She was one of the founders of the Fredrika Bremer Association, which aimed to promote higher education for women.

Turning to the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Staaf was Erik Staaf (1889-1964), a Swedish artist and sculptor known for his modernist works. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces in Sweden and other parts of Europe.

It is worth noting that the name Staaf has also been found in some historical records with slight variations in spelling, such as Staf or Ståf. Additionally, there are place names in Sweden that are derived from this surname, such as Stafsgården and Stafsäter, which further highlights the long-standing presence of this name in Swedish history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Staaf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Staaf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Staaf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Staaf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Staaf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Staaf, please contact us.

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