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

Stahley, 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 Stahley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stahley in America

Stahley is the 29473rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stahley surname appeared 801 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 Stahley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stahley 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 Stahley

The surname Stahley originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 15th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "stal," which meant "steel" or "hard metal." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with steel or a blacksmith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stahley can be found in a 1492 census record from the town of Augsburg, located in present-day Bavaria, Germany. The record lists a certain Hans Stahley, a blacksmith by trade. This suggests that the name was already in use and associated with metalworking professions at that time.

In the 16th century, the name Stahley appeared in various forms, such as Stahle, Stahler, and Stahlig, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations were common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were established.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Stahley name was Johann Stahley, a German composer and organist born in 1637 in Saxony. His works, although not widely known today, contributed to the development of baroque music in Germany.

During the 18th century, the Stahley name spread beyond the German-speaking regions as families migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such example is Peter Stahley, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the Stahley surname was Elizabeth Stahley, an American writer and activist born in 1823 in Ohio. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and published several works on social and political issues of her time.

Another notable figure from the same era was Johann Stahley, a German-born artist and painter who lived from 1828 to 1907. He is known for his landscapes and portraiture, which captured the essence of rural life in Germany during the 19th century.

Throughout history, the Stahley surname has been associated with various professions, from blacksmiths and metalworkers in its early origins to artists, writers, and farmers in later centuries. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its connection to the German-speaking regions and the potential link to metalworking remains a significant part of its heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stahley

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

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

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

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