2000
#10,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Stead
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a landing place, wharf, or bank of a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,073 Americans carry the last name Stead. That puts it at #11,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stead 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 Stead with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,537
Census rank
#11,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,680 bearers of the surname Stead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stead, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stead
The surname Stead originated in England, tracing its roots back to the Old English words "stede" and "stydd," which referred to a place or location. It was initially used as a topographic name, given to individuals who lived near a prominent landmark or geographical feature, such as a farm, village, or homestead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Stede," indicating that it was derived from a place name. This entry suggests that the surname was already well-established by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled as "Stede" or "Sted," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, where many of the earliest recorded bearers of the name resided.
Notable individuals with the surname Stead include Geoffrey Stead (1497-1573), a prominent English merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1557. Another noteworthy figure was Christopher Stead (1701-1786), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital.
In the literary world, William Thomas Stead (1849-1912) was a pioneering English journalist and editor who played a significant role in the development of investigative journalism. He is best remembered for his exposé of child prostitution in London, which led to the raising of the age of consent.
The name Stead has also been associated with places such as Stead in Lincolnshire and Stead in Lancashire, both of which likely contributed to the surname's origins and spread.
Other notable individuals with the surname Stead include Sir Richard Stead (1869-1943), a British businessman and philanthropist, and Christina Stead (1902-1983), an Australian novelist and writer known for her works exploring social and political themes.
Throughout its history, the surname Stead has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where its bearers have migrated and settled over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stead
Among Census respondents with the surname Stead, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stead 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 Stead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 2,274
- Two or more races4.8% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 97
- Black or African American2.0% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stead
Stead 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
#11,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,808
+98 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 455 places
2020
#11,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,680
-128 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,802 | 2,710 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,257 | 2,808 | 0.95 | +98 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 455 places |
| 2020 | #11,273 | 2,680 | 0.90 | -128 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 16 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 Stead 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 | #11,257 | #11,273 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,808 | 2,680 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.90 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stead bearers went from 2,808 to 2,680 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,257 to #11,273.
FAQ
Stead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stead?
Name Census estimates that about 3,073 living Americans carry the surname Stead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,537 residents.
How common is Stead?
Stead ranks #11,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,680 people with the surname Stead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Stead.
Has Stead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stead went from 2,808 recorded bearers to 2,680. That is a decrease of 128 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,257 to #11,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Stead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stead, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Stead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (2,274 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Stead (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 Stead mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a landing place, wharf, or bank of a river. 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 Stead (0.90 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 Stead?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Stead on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.