2000
#1,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,163
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.22
Uncommon Last name
Stahl
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to someone who worked with steel or was a steelworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,171 Americans carry the last name Stahl. That puts it at #1,669 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stahl 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 Stahl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,180
Census rank
#1,669
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,078 bearers of the surname Stahl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1669th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stahl
The surname Stahl is of German origin, with its roots traceable back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Stahl," which means "steel" or "sword." This etymology suggests that the name may have been initially associated with metalworkers, swordsmiths, or individuals involved in the production or trade of steel.
The earliest known records of the Stahl surname can be found in various German regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. In the 14th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Nürnberg, where it was likely associated with the renowned metalworking industry of the region.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Stahl surname is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions a certain "Johannes Stahl," indicating the presence of the name in this region during that time period.
In the 16th century, the Stahl surname gained prominence with the birth of Georg Ernst Stahl (1659-1734), a renowned German chemist and physician. Stahl is known for his contributions to the field of chemistry, particularly his theory of phlogiston, which attempted to explain the process of combustion.
Another notable figure bearing the Stahl surname is Friedrich Julius Stahl (1802-1861), a German jurist and legal philosopher. He is best known for his work on the historical school of jurisprudence and his theory of the state as an organic entity.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the contributions of August Wilhelm Stahl (1813-1900), a German poet and writer. He is particularly renowned for his lyrical poetry and his works exploring the themes of nature and rural life.
The Stahl surname also found its way into the military annals, with the likes of General Johann Baptist Stahl (1619-1680), a prominent military commander during the Thirty Years' War. He served under the Holy Roman Empire and played a significant role in various battles.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Carl Stahl (1848-1919), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Carl Stahl Company, a leading manufacturer of wire rope and lifting equipment. His contributions to the industrial sector left a lasting impact on the German economy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stahl
Among Census respondents with the surname Stahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stahl 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 Stahl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 19,468
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 690
- Two or more races3.0% · 629
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 158
- Black or African American0.3% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stahl
Stahl 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
#1,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,211
+48 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 7.53
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#1,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,078
-1,133 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 7.05
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,471 | 22,163 | 8.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,619 | 22,211 | 7.53 | +48 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #1,669 | 21,078 | 7.05 | -1,133 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 50 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 Stahl 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 | #1,619 | #1,669 | -3.1% |
| Count | 22,211 | 21,078 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.53 | 7.05 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stahl bearers went from 22,211 to 21,078 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,619 to #1,669.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stahl
FAQ
Stahl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stahl?
Name Census estimates that about 24,171 living Americans carry the surname Stahl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,180 residents.
How common is Stahl?
Stahl ranks #1,669 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,078 people with the surname Stahl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Stahl.
Has Stahl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stahl went from 22,211 recorded bearers to 21,078. That is a decrease of 1,133 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,619 to #1,669.
What does the Census say about the background of Stahl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Stahl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (19,468 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stahl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Stahl (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 Stahl mean?
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to someone who worked with steel or was a steelworker. 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 Stahl (7.05 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 share the surname Stahl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.