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

Standish, 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 Standish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Standish in America

Standish is the 10099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Standish surname appeared 3,189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Standish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Standish 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 Standish

The surname Standish has its roots in England, originating from the village of Standish near Wigan in Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "disc" meaning a flat circular surface, referring to a stone disc or millstone.

The earliest recorded occurrence of the name Standish can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Stanedis". This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ralph de Standish, who lived in the 13th century and was recorded as holding lands in Standish during the reign of King John (1199-1216).

In the 14th century, the Standish family rose to prominence, with Sir Ralph de Standish serving as a knight and member of Parliament during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. His son, also named Ralph, was knighted for his military service and served as the Sheriff of Lancashire in 1395.

Another notable figure from the Standish family was Miles Standish (c. 1584-1656), a military officer who was hired by the Pilgrims to serve as the military leader of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. He played a crucial role in the colony's survival and defense against potential threats.

In the 17th century, the Standish name spread beyond Lancashire, with branches of the family settling in other parts of England and even venturing to Ireland. One such individual was Thomas Standish (1615-1693), a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War.

The Standish surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Standish Hall, an historic manor house in Wigan, and Standish Lower Ground, a former area of Manchester.

Other notable individuals bearing the Standish name include Frank Hall Standish (1799-1835), an English painter known for his landscape works, and David Standish (1959-), a British composer and musician.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Standish

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

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

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

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