2000
#9,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,033
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Stalker
An occupational surname referring to a person who stalks game or pursues prey, such as a hunter or fowler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,389 Americans carry the last name Stalker. That puts it at #10,368 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stalker 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 Stalker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,137
Census rank
#10,368
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,955 bearers of the surname Stalker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10368th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stalker
The surname Stalker originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Middle English word "stalker," which referred to a person who engaged in hunting or stalking game. This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals whose primary livelihood involved tracking and pursuing animals for food or sport.
The earliest recorded instances of the Stalker surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various English records and documents. One notable example is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, which mention a William le Stalker. This entry suggests that the name was already in use as a descriptive identifier for an individual's profession or occupation.
During the medieval period, the Stalker surname was most prevalent in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. This geographic concentration aligns with the region's rich hunting traditions and the importance of hunting as a means of sustaining communities.
In the 16th century, the Stalker surname appeared in the records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the baptism of John Stalker in 1582. Additionally, the Parish Registers of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire, documented the marriage of William Stalker and Elizabeth Roades in 1598.
One notable individual with the Stalker surname was Sir John Stalker (1556-1623), an English judge and Member of Parliament who served as a justice of the King's Bench during the reign of James I. Another prominent figure was Robert Stalker (1631-1681), a Scottish minister and writer who authored several religious works.
In the 18th century, the Stalker surname gained recognition through the life and work of John Stalker (1679-1739), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical subjects. His most notable work, "A Treatise of the Illuminated Clock," explored the concept of time and its spiritual implications.
The 19th century saw the rise of James Stalker (1848-1927), a Scottish theologian and author who served as the professor of church history at the United Free Church College in Glasgow. His influential works, such as "The Life of Christ" and "The Life of St. Paul," contributed significantly to the study of biblical scholarship.
As the Stalker surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it also appeared in various place names and localities. For example, Stalker Castle, a ruined fortification located on the Isle of Islay in Scotland, is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "stallr," meaning a walking or stalking place.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stalker
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Stalker 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 Stalker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 2,581
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 113
- Two or more races3.8% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.7% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stalker
Stalker 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
#9,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,452
+419 bearers (+13.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 413 places
2020
#10,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,955
-497 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,834 | 3,033 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,421 | 3,452 | 1.17 | +419 bearers (+13.8%) | Up 413 places |
| 2020 | #10,368 | 2,955 | 0.99 | -497 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 947 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 Stalker 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 | #9,421 | #10,368 | -10.1% |
| Count | 3,452 | 2,955 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 0.99 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stalker bearers went from 3,452 to 2,955 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 947 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,421 to #10,368.
FAQ
Stalker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stalker?
Name Census estimates that about 3,389 living Americans carry the surname Stalker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,137 residents.
How common is Stalker?
Stalker ranks #10,368 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,955 people with the surname Stalker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,389), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Stalker.
Has Stalker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stalker went from 3,452 recorded bearers to 2,955. That is a decrease of 497 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,421 to #10,368.
What does the Census say about the background of Stalker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Stalker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (2,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stalker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Stalker (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 Stalker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who stalks game or pursues prey, such as a hunter or fowler. 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 Stalker (0.99 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 Stalker?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.