Staggers last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Staggers

A surname derived from the verb "stagger," possibly referring to a clumsy or unstable person.

Staggers, 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 Staggers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Staggers in America

Staggers is the 16798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Staggers surname appeared 1,700 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Staggers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Staggers 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 16798 17639 -4.88%
Count 1,700 1,467 14.71%
Proportion per 100k 0.58 0.54 7.14%

The history of the last name Staggers

The surname Staggers has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a stager or scaffolder, responsible for erecting temporary wooden structures or stages for construction or performances.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Staggers can be found in the Leicestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a Robert le Staggere was mentioned. This spelling variation suggests a connection to the Old English word "stagga," meaning a stagger or stumble, potentially indicating someone with an unsteady gait or walk.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various records across different counties in England, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a John Staggere, and the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire from 1436, mentioning a Thomas Staggers.

The Staggers surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Stagger's Farm in Essex, which was documented in the 16th century. This farm likely took its name from an early owner or resident with the surname Staggers.

Among notable individuals bearing this surname, one can mention Sir William Staggers (1533-1604), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Robert Staggers (1612-1677), a Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of Ipswich in Suffolk.

In the 18th century, the Staggers surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Staggers (1739-1824), an English naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean. He is particularly renowned for his detailed accounts of the indigenous cultures he encountered during his travels.

Another significant figure was Mary Staggers (1801-1879), a British philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class in London. She established several charitable organizations and played a pivotal role in advocating for better housing and education for the underprivileged.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Sir Thomas Staggers (1867-1945), a highly influential British industrialist and inventor. He revolutionized the textile industry with his innovative machinery and manufacturing processes, earning him numerous accolades and a knighthood for his contributions to the field.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Staggers

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

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 Staggers was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 32.18% 547
Non-Hispanic Black Only 63.29% 1,076
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.06% 35
Hispanic Origin 1.82% 31

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 Staggers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 32.18% 36.47% -12.50%
Black 63.29% 59.99% 5.35%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.06% 1.57% 27.00%
Hispanic 1.82% 1.16% 44.30%

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

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

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"Staggers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/staggers-surname-popularity/.

"Staggers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/staggers-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Staggers last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/staggers-surname-popularity/.

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