Stass last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Stass

An ornamental surname potentially derived from the German "Stoss" meaning a wooded ridge or hill.

Stass, 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 Stass surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Stass in America

Stass is the 147095th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stass surname appeared 103 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Stass.

The history of the last name Stass

The surname Stass has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically within regions that were historically part of Poland and the broader Slavic territories. It is likely derived from a Slavic root word or variation, possibly connected to names like Stas or Stasz, which are diminutive or affectionate forms of Stanislaus—a common given name in Slavic cultures meaning "to become famous" or "glorious rule."

The surname Stass appears in medieval records from around the 14th and 15th centuries. Although not extremely common, it has been documented in various manuscripts and church records, particularly within the regions of Poland and Ukraine. Variations in the surname such as Staszewski and Stasik indicate its etymological connection to the root name Stasz or Stas.

One of the earliest recorded examples of this surname appears in Polish nobility records, with a Jakub Stass mentioned in the town of Krakow in 1423. The surname has also been noted in historical deeds and registries, such as a land grant given to a family bearing this name by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1461, pointing to the social status and landholding privileges associated with it.

In the 16th century, the name Stass is found among the records of the Union of Lublin in 1569, a document uniting Poland and Lithuania. Another prominent figure, Marcin Stass, was documented in 1580 as a merchant and member of the guild in the city of Gdańsk, which was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, suggesting the involvement of the Stass surname in trade and urban development.

A notable historical figure with this surname is Mateusz Stass, born in 1610 and documented as serving in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth military during the wars with the Ottoman Empire. He earned recognition for his service and was commemorated in military records of the time.

Moving into the 18th century, Jan Stass, born in 1734, was recognized as an academic and scholar within the University of Poznan, contributing to the development of early scientific and philosophical ideas in the region. His works are still part of historical archives in Poland.

As history progressed to the 19th century, Michael Stass became a well-known composer and musician in Warsaw. Born in 1779, he made significant contributions to the Polish music scene until his death in 1834, influencing the cultural landscape during the period of partitions of Poland.

Another individual of note is Elżbieta Stass, born in 1846, who was a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights in Poland. Her efforts in education and civil rights movements are documented in various 19th-century literature, leaving a legacy that impacted Polish society significantly.

The surname Stass, with its likely origins rooted in a diminutive of Stanislaus, weaves through centuries of European history, marking its presence in various fields such as military service, trade, academia, the arts, and social reform, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stass

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stass was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.17% 97
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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"Stass last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/stass-surname-popularity/.

"Stass last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/stass-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 June, 2025

Stass last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/stass-surname-popularity/.

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