2000
#4,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,261
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.69
Rare Last name
Steadman
An English occupational surname referring to a person who tended or managed horses, derived from "stede" meaning "stud farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,209 Americans carry the last name Steadman. That puts it at #4,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,753 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steadman 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 Steadman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,753
Census rank
#4,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,159 bearers of the surname Steadman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steadman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steadman
The surname Steadman is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name, derived from the Old English words "stede" meaning "place" or "farm," and "mann" meaning "man." The combination of these words suggests that the name referred to someone who worked on or managed a farm or estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Steadman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Stedeman" in this historical document, indicating its presence in the region during the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Steadman surname was predominantly found in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. This suggests that the name may have originated in the West Midlands region of England, where many early bearers of the surname were likely employed as farm workers or estate managers.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname has undergone various transformations, including variations like Stedman, Steademan, and Stedeman. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices during earlier times.
One notable figure with the surname Steadman was John Steadman, an English author and playwright who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his work "The Arrant Knave," a satirical play published in 1609.
Another prominent individual bearing the Steadman surname was Thomas Steadman, an English engraver and illustrator who lived from 1736 to 1805. He was renowned for his intricate engravings and illustrations, many of which were featured in various publications of his time.
In the 19th century, Walter Steadman (1808-1876) made his mark as an English architect and surveyor. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including St. Mary's Church in Handsworth, Birmingham.
Ralph Steadman, born in 1936, is a renowned British cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his collaborations with the writer Hunter S. Thompson. His distinctive and often grotesque style has earned him widespread acclaim and recognition in the world of satirical and political illustration.
Lastly, Philip Steadman, born in 1942, is a British architect, academic, and author. He has made significant contributions to the fields of architectural history and theory, and his works have explored the intersection of architecture, science, and technology.
While the Steadman surname may have humble origins as an occupational name associated with farm work and estate management, it has been carried by individuals who have made lasting contributions across various fields, from literature and art to architecture and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steadman
Among Census respondents with the surname Steadman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Steadman 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 Steadman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 5,704
- Black or African American12.5% · 893
- Two or more races3.6% · 258
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 235
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steadman
Steadman 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
#4,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,642
+381 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#4,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,159
-483 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,499 | 7,261 | 2.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,645 | 7,642 | 2.59 | +381 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #4,791 | 7,159 | 2.40 | -483 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 146 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 Steadman 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 | #4,645 | #4,791 | -3.1% |
| Count | 7,642 | 7,159 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.59 | 2.40 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steadman bearers went from 7,642 to 7,159 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,645 to #4,791.
FAQ
Steadman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steadman?
Name Census estimates that about 8,209 living Americans carry the surname Steadman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,753 residents.
How common is Steadman?
Steadman ranks #4,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.40 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 7,159 people with the surname Steadman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.40 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 Steadman.
Has Steadman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steadman went from 7,642 recorded bearers to 7,159. That is a decrease of 483 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,645 to #4,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Steadman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steadman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Steadman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (5,704 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steadman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Steadman (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 Steadman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who tended or managed horses, derived from "stede" meaning "stud farm." 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 Steadman (2.40 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 common is the surname Steadman?
Want to know how many people have the surname Steadman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.