2000
#5,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.35
Rare Last name
Stebbins
Derived from a place name meaning "steep banks" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near steep hillsides.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,651 Americans carry the last name Stebbins. That puts it at #5,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,534 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stebbins 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.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,534
Census rank
#5,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,800 bearers of the surname Stebbins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stebbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stebbins
The surname Stebbins is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stybb," meaning a tree stump or stub. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as an occupational name for someone who worked with tree stumps or lived near a prominent stump.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records documenting landowners and tenants in various counties of England. The name was also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, indicating its presence in the southern English county.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Stubbyns, Stubbins, and Stubbynges, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records of the time. One notable reference is found in the Cheshire Pipe Rolls of 1392, where a John Stubbynges is mentioned.
The Stebbins name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Edward Stebbins (c. 1555-1588), an English composer known for his vocal works during the Renaissance era. Another was John Stebbins (1618-1668), one of the earliest settlers of Springfield, Massachusetts, who arrived in the American colonies in the 1630s.
Other notable figures include William Stebbins (1794-1863), a prominent American businessman and philanthropist from Massachusetts, and James H. Stebbins (1840-1888), a Civil War veteran and businessman from New York. Additionally, Rufus P. Stebbins (1824-1904) was a respected lawyer and served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Michigan.
The Stebbins name has also been associated with several place names, particularly in England. For instance, Stubbins, a village in Lancashire, is believed to have derived its name from the surname. Similarly, Stubbins Vale, a hamlet near Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, may have originated from the same source.
While the Stebbins surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the rural landscapes of medieval England. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including composers, settlers, businessmen, lawyers, and judges, contributing to the diverse tapestry of English and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stebbins
Among Census respondents with the surname Stebbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stebbins 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 Stebbins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 5,264
- Two or more races3.4% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 196
- Black or African American1.4% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stebbins
Stebbins 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
#5,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,484
+155 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.20
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#5,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,800
-684 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,088 | 6,329 | 2.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,371 | 6,484 | 2.20 | +155 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #5,760 | 5,800 | 1.94 | -684 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 389 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 Stebbins 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 | #5,371 | #5,760 | -7.2% |
| Count | 6,484 | 5,800 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.20 | 1.94 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stebbins bearers went from 6,484 to 5,800 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 389 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,371 to #5,760.
FAQ
Stebbins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stebbins?
Name Census estimates that about 6,651 living Americans carry the surname Stebbins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,534 residents.
How common is Stebbins?
Stebbins ranks #5,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 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 5,800 people with the surname Stebbins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,651), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 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 Stebbins.
Has Stebbins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stebbins went from 6,484 recorded bearers to 5,800. That is a decrease of 684 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,371 to #5,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Stebbins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stebbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stebbins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (5,264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stebbins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stebbins (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 Stebbins mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "steep banks" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near steep hillsides. 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 Stebbins (1.94 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 Americans have the surname Stebbins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.