2000
#9,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Stagg
An English surname derived from a nickname for a man who was strong or virile, like a stag.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,656 Americans carry the last name Stagg. That puts it at #9,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stagg 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stagg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,751
Census rank
#9,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,188 bearers of the surname Stagg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stagg
The surname Stagg is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "stagga," which means "stag" or "male deer." This suggests that the name was likely first given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who exhibited characteristics reminiscent of a stag, such as strength, agility, or perhaps even an association with hunting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Stagg can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a Robert le Stagge is mentioned. The use of the Norman-French prefix "le" further indicates the name's English origins and its establishment as a hereditary surname during the Middle Ages.
In the 14th century, the Stagg surname appeared in various forms, including Stagge, Stag, and Stagges, as evidenced by records from Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.
The Stagg surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was William Stagg, a prominent merchant and citizen of London, who served as the city's Sheriff in 1431. Another notable figure was John Stagg, a 16th-century Member of Parliament for Aylesbury and a significant landowner in Buckinghamshire.
In the 17th century, the Stagg family had a strong presence in the Midlands region of England. One member, Thomas Stagg (1638-1708), was a prosperous ironmonger and civic leader in Birmingham, serving as the town's Bailiff in 1687. His son, John Stagg (1670-1739), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the Birmingham community.
The 18th century saw the rise of a notable Stagg family in Lincolnshire. John Stagg (1745-1819) was a respected landowner and agriculturalist who played a significant role in improving farming practices in the region. His grandson, also named John Stagg (1810-1884), continued the family's agricultural legacy and became a respected breeder of Lincolnshire sheep.
During the 19th century, the Stagg surname gained prominence in various fields, including literature and the arts. One notable figure was Robert Augustus Stagg (1853-1936), an English writer and artist known for his illustrations and etchings of rural landscapes.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence and significance of the Stagg surname throughout English history, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages and a connection to the natural world through the symbolic association with the stag.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stagg
Among Census respondents with the surname Stagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stagg 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 Stagg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 2,545
- Black or African American11.5% · 368
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 124
- Two or more races3.9% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stagg
Stagg 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
#9,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,312
+101 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 462 places
2020
#9,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
-124 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,321 | 3,211 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,783 | 3,312 | 1.12 | +101 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 462 places |
| 2020 | #9,717 | 3,188 | 1.07 | -124 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 66 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 Stagg 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 | #9,783 | #9,717 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,312 | 3,188 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.07 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stagg bearers went from 3,312 to 3,188 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,783 to #9,717.
FAQ
Stagg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stagg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,656 living Americans carry the surname Stagg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,751 residents.
How common is Stagg?
Stagg ranks #9,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,188 people with the surname Stagg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,656), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Stagg.
Has Stagg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stagg went from 3,312 recorded bearers to 3,188. That is a decrease of 124 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,783 to #9,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Stagg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Stagg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (2,545 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stagg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Black (11.5%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Stagg (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 Stagg mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a man who was strong or virile, like a stag. 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 Stagg (1.07 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 Americans have the surname Stagg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.