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

Stamps, 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 Stamps surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stamps in America

Stamps is the 4828th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stamps surname appeared 7,307 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Stamps.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stamps 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 Stamps

The surname Stamps is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "stempan," which means "to stamp or pound." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when it was initially used to identify individuals who were responsible for stamping or pounding materials, such as metal or cloth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Stamps can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record of tax payments, where a certain Walter Stamps is mentioned in 1379. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, where a John Stamps is listed.

During the Middle Ages, the Stamps name was concentrated primarily in the counties of Yorkshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk, although it later spread to other parts of England. The name may have also been derived from certain place names, such as Stamford or Stamford Bridge, both of which contain elements related to the Old English word "stempan."

One notable figure in history who bore the surname Stamps was William Stamps (c. 1590-1676), an English soldier and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another individual of note was John Stamps (1677-1743), a British naval officer who served as Captain of the Royal Navy during the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the Stamps name gained wider recognition with the birth of Thomas Stamps (1823-1897), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Music and the Royal Albert Hall. Another influential figure was James Stamps (1856-1933), an American educator and civil rights activist who played a significant role in the establishment of historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Ira Stamps (1896-1971), an American blues singer and guitarist who was instrumental in the development of the St. Louis blues sound in the early 20th century. His recordings and performances helped to shape the evolution of blues music and influenced countless artists who followed in his footsteps.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stamps

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

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

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

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