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

Staal, 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 Staal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Staal in America

Staal is the 39607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Staal surname appeared 555 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 Staal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Staal 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 Staal

The surname Staal is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Dutch word "staal," meaning steel or a type of strong metal alloy. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with metalworkers, blacksmiths, or those involved in the steel industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Staal can be found in the Dutch province of Gelderland in the late 13th century. A document from 1287 mentions a man named Henricus van Stael, which is thought to be an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name Staal began appearing in various Dutch records and manuscripts, primarily in the regions of North Holland and South Holland. For example, a man named Jan Stael is mentioned in a legal document from the city of Leiden in 1342.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Staal became more widespread across the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged during this period, including:

1. Joachim Staal (1619-1668), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life paintings.
2. Marguerite de Staal (1684-1750), a French author and memoirist who served as a lady-in-waiting at the court of Louis XIV.
3. Carel Staal (1710-1781), a Dutch architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in The Hague.

As the Dutch colonized various parts of the world, the surname Staal also spread to other regions. In the 17th century, a man named Pieter Staal was among the early Dutch settlers in what is now South Africa.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Staal continued to appear in historical records across Europe and beyond. Some notable individuals from this time include:

1. Georg Staal (1768-1833), a German musician and composer known for his work in the Romantic era.
2. Marguerite Staal (1776-1837), a French painter and engraver known for her portraits and landscapes.
3. Johannes Staal (1821-1897), a Dutch politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1866 to 1868.

While the surname Staal has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Staal

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

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 Staal 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 Staal 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 Staal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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