2000
#6,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Staats
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone from a town, village, or settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,902 Americans carry the last name Staats. That puts it at #7,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Staats surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,921
Census rank
#7,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,275 bearers of the surname Staats in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Staats, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Staats
The surname STAATS is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "staat," meaning "state" or "condition," suggesting a possible connection to a person's social status or occupation. The name may also be linked to the word "stad," meaning "city" or "town," implying an association with a specific location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name STAATS can be found in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during the 17th century, when the Dutch established a colonial presence in the region. Some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been Dutch settlers or officials who played a role in the colonial administration or trade activities.
In the Netherlands, the name STAATS appeared in various historical records, such as church registers and local archives. One notable example is Abraham Staats, a Dutch painter born in 1628 in The Hague, who is known for his still-life paintings depicting floral arrangements and fruit.
As the Dutch established settlements and trading posts around the world, the name STAATS likely spread to different regions. For instance, in North America, the name can be traced back to the early Dutch colonization of New Amsterdam (later renamed New York) in the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in North America was Dr. Samuel Staats, a Dutch physician who arrived in New Amsterdam around 1642 and served as the first doctor in the colony.
Another prominent figure with the surname STAATS was Rembrandt Peale Staats, an American artist born in 1783 in New York. He was known for his portrait paintings and was a member of the esteemed Peale family of artists.
In the United Kingdom, the surname STAATS can be found in historical records dating back to the 18th century, likely derived from Dutch immigrants or those with Dutch ancestry. One notable bearer of the name was Walter Staats, a British politician and barrister born in 1840, who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Colchester from 1885 to 1900.
The STAATS surname has also been present in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and France, where it may have been introduced through Dutch migration or trade connections. In Germany, for example, there are records of individuals named STAATS dating back to the 18th century, possibly originating from the Dutch-speaking regions of the Netherlands or Belgium.
While the surname STAATS has its roots in the Netherlands and the Dutch language, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by Dutch settlers, traders, and immigrants over the centuries. The name has endured and evolved, reflecting the rich cultural and historical connections between the Netherlands and the global diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Staats
Among Census respondents with the surname Staats, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Staats bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Staats surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 3,771
- Two or more races4.7% · 203
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 180
- Black or African American1.4% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Staats
Staats appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,549
+17 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 497 places
2020
#7,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,275
-274 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,836 | 4,532 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,333 | 4,549 | 1.54 | +17 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 497 places |
| 2020 | #7,514 | 4,275 | 1.43 | -274 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 181 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Staats surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,333 | #7,514 | -2.5% |
| Count | 4,549 | 4,275 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.43 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Staats bearers went from 4,549 to 4,275 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,333 to #7,514.
FAQ
Staats surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Staats?
Name Census estimates that about 4,902 living Americans carry the surname Staats. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,921 residents.
How common is Staats?
Staats ranks #7,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,275 people with the surname Staats. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Staats.
Has Staats become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Staats went from 4,549 recorded bearers to 4,275. That is a decrease of 274 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,333 to #7,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Staats?
Among Census respondents with the surname Staats, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Staats in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (3,771 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Staats appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Staats (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Staats mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone from a town, village, or settlement. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Staats (1.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Staats?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.