2000
#6,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,957
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Stansbury
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stone fortification" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,491 Americans carry the last name Stansbury. That puts it at #6,771 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stansbury 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 Stansbury with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,421
Census rank
#6,771
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,788 bearers of the surname Stansbury in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6771st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stansbury
The surname Stansbury is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval era. It derives from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "burg" meaning fort or stronghold, suggesting that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a stone fortification or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Stanesburc." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England, indicating that the name was already established in the region by the late 11th century.
During the 13th century, various spellings of the name emerged, such as "Stanisburi" and "Stanbury." These variations likely reflect local dialects and scribal interpretations of the name's pronunciation. Notably, the name shares similarities with several place names in England, including Stansbury in Kent and Stanbury in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the Stansbury surname was Sir John Stansbury, a prominent English knight who lived during the 14th century. He served under Edward III and participated in the Hundred Years' War against France. Another notable figure was William Stansbury, a 15th-century merchant from Bristol, England, who was involved in the lucrative wool trade with the Netherlands.
In the 16th century, the Stansbury family gained prominence in Gloucestershire, with several members holding positions of influence in local government and church affairs. One such individual was Richard Stansbury, who served as the Mayor of Gloucester in 1591.
During the 17th century, the Stansbury name spread across England, with families settling in various regions. Thomas Stansbury, born in 1620, was an early settler in the American colonies, establishing roots in Maryland. His descendants played a role in the development of the region.
Another noteworthy individual was John Stansbury, a 19th-century British explorer and naturalist. Born in 1781, he led several expeditions to the American West and contributed significantly to the study of the region's flora and fauna.
Throughout history, the Stansbury surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, military leaders, and public servants. While the name's precise origins remain uncertain, its connection to ancient place names and its enduring presence across centuries underscore its deep-rooted English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stansbury
Among Census respondents with the surname Stansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Stansbury 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 Stansbury surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 3,751
- Black or African American12.3% · 590
- Two or more races4.5% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 176
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stansbury
Stansbury 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
#6,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,152
+195 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 240 places
2020
#6,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,788
-364 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,331 | 4,957 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,571 | 5,152 | 1.75 | +195 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 240 places |
| 2020 | #6,771 | 4,788 | 1.60 | -364 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 200 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 Stansbury 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 | #6,571 | #6,771 | -3.0% |
| Count | 5,152 | 4,788 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.60 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stansbury bearers went from 5,152 to 4,788 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,571 to #6,771.
FAQ
Stansbury surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stansbury?
Name Census estimates that about 5,491 living Americans carry the surname Stansbury. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,421 residents.
How common is Stansbury?
Stansbury ranks #6,771 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,788 people with the surname Stansbury. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,491), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Stansbury.
Has Stansbury become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stansbury went from 5,152 recorded bearers to 4,788. That is a decrease of 364 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,571 to #6,771.
What does the Census say about the background of Stansbury?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Stansbury in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (3,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stansbury appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (12.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Stansbury (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 Stansbury mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stone fortification" in Old English. 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 Stansbury (1.60 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 last name Stansbury?
See how many Americans have the surname Stansbury on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.