2000
#8,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Stalnaker
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of steel or metal goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,054 Americans carry the last name Stalnaker. That puts it at #8,890 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,547 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stalnaker 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.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 84,547
Census rank
#8,890
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,535 bearers of the surname Stalnaker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8890th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalnaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stalnaker
The surname STALNAKER originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "stal," meaning "steel," and the word "nacker," which referred to a person who worked with steel or a blacksmith. Thus, the name STALNAKER likely referred to an individual who was a skilled blacksmith or worked with steel.
One of the earliest known references to the STALNAKER surname can be found in the records of the town of Hesse, Germany, from the late 1500s. These records mention several individuals with the surname, including Hans STALNAKER, who was born in 1572, and his son, Peter STALNAKER, born in 1601.
As the STALNAKER family migrated from Germany, the surname spread to other parts of Europe and eventually to the New World. In the 17th century, several STALNAKERs are recorded as having settled in the British colonies of North America, particularly in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
One notable individual with the STALNAKER surname was Jacob STALNAKER, who was born in Germany in 1720 and later immigrated to Virginia in the mid-1700s. He became a prominent landowner and helped establish the town of Stalnaker, West Virginia, which was named after him.
Another historically significant STALNAKER was John STALNAKER, born in Virginia in 1788. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and later became a successful farmer and landowner in Ohio.
In the 19th century, the STALNAKER surname gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals making significant contributions. One such individual was Samuel J. STALNAKER, born in Ohio in 1825, who became a prominent lawyer and politician, serving as a judge and later as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Additionally, the STALNAKER surname can be found in historical records from other parts of the world, including England, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, Robert STALNAKER, born in England in 1842, was a renowned philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the field of modal logic.
Overall, the surname STALNAKER has a rich history that can be traced back to its German origins, with individuals bearing this name making their mark across various fields and regions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stalnaker
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalnaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stalnaker 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 Stalnaker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,225
- Two or more races3.8% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 83
- Black or African American1.8% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stalnaker
Stalnaker 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
#8,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,770
+95 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 417 places
2020
#8,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,535
-235 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,289 | 3,675 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,706 | 3,770 | 1.28 | +95 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 417 places |
| 2020 | #8,890 | 3,535 | 1.18 | -235 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 184 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 Stalnaker 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 | #8,706 | #8,890 | -2.1% |
| Count | 3,770 | 3,535 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.18 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stalnaker bearers went from 3,770 to 3,535 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 184 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,706 to #8,890.
FAQ
Stalnaker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stalnaker?
Name Census estimates that about 4,054 living Americans carry the surname Stalnaker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,547 residents.
How common is Stalnaker?
Stalnaker ranks #8,890 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,535 people with the surname Stalnaker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Stalnaker.
Has Stalnaker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stalnaker went from 3,770 recorded bearers to 3,535. That is a decrease of 235 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,706 to #8,890.
What does the Census say about the background of Stalnaker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stalnaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Stalnaker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stalnaker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Stalnaker (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 Stalnaker mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of steel or metal goods. 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 Stalnaker (1.18 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 are called Stalnaker?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Stalnaker at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.