2000
#9,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,306
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Steck
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of sticks, staffs, or poles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,540 Americans carry the last name Steck. That puts it at #9,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steck 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
3.5K
1 in 96,823
Census rank
#9,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,087 bearers of the surname Steck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steck
The surname Steck has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "stech," meaning a stake or a pole, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with stakes or poles.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Steck can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. Historical records from this period, including town registries and church documents, provide evidence of the name's existence and its various spellings, such as Stech, Steche, and Stecke.
One notable historical reference to the name Steck can be found in the Stadtbuch von Augsburg (City Book of Augsburg), a medieval chronicle that documented events and legal proceedings in the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. The chronicle mentions a certain Hans Steck, a merchant and citizen of Augsburg, who lived in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Steck appeared in various regions of Germany, including the Palatinate and Württemberg. During this time, the name was often associated with place names, such as Steckborn, a town in the Swiss canton of Thurgau, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Steck was Johann Steck (1525-1587), a German Protestant theologian and reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a prominent figure in the Lutheran Church.
Another notable figure was Hans Steck (1590-1648), a Swiss Anabaptist leader and preacher from the canton of Bern. He was a prominent figure in the Swiss Brethren movement and faced persecution for his religious beliefs.
In the 18th century, the surname Steck spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. Johann Steck (1738-1809), a Dutch engraver and artist, was known for his intricate copper engravings and works depicting landscapes and cityscapes.
In the 19th century, the name Steck appeared in various parts of the United States, likely due to German immigration. One notable individual was Michael Steck (1814-1894), a German-American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another significant figure was Theodore Steck (1846-1925), a German-American artist and lithographer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was renowned for his landscape paintings and lithographs depicting scenes of the American West.
Overall, the surname Steck has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its roots firmly planted in German-speaking lands. While its exact origin remains uncertain, the name has been associated with various occupations, places, and notable individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steck
Among Census respondents with the surname Steck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Steck 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 Steck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,870
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 110
- Two or more races2.8% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steck
Steck 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
#9,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,564
+258 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#9,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,087
-477 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 819 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,085 | 3,306 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,155 | 3,564 | 1.21 | +258 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #9,974 | 3,087 | 1.03 | -477 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 819 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 Steck 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 | #9,155 | #9,974 | -8.9% |
| Count | 3,564 | 3,087 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.03 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steck bearers went from 3,564 to 3,087 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 819 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,155 to #9,974.
FAQ
Steck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steck?
Name Census estimates that about 3,540 living Americans carry the surname Steck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,823 residents.
How common is Steck?
Steck ranks #9,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,087 people with the surname Steck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,540), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Steck.
Has Steck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steck went from 3,564 recorded bearers to 3,087. That is a decrease of 477 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,155 to #9,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Steck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Steck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Steck (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 Steck mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of sticks, staffs, or poles. 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 Steck (1.03 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 surname Steck?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.