2000
#12,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Stecker
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of pins, originally derived from the German word "Stecknadel" meaning "pin."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,038 Americans carry the last name Stecker. That puts it at #15,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stecker 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
2.0K
1 in 168,182
Census rank
#15,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,777 bearers of the surname Stecker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stecker
The surname Stecker is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "stecker," which referred to a stake or pole used for various purposes, such as fencing or supporting structures. This occupation-based surname would have initially been given to someone who worked with such stakes or poles, likely a carpenter or woodworker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stecker can be found in the town records of Lübeck, dating back to the early 14th century. Here, a certain Hans Stecker is mentioned as a resident and tradesman in the year 1321. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the Stecker name appeared in several historical documents from the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a principality located in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany. A prominent figure bearing this surname was Cord Stecker, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Celle from around 1470 to 1535.
As the name spread throughout northern and central Germany over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Steckher, Steckher, and Steckere. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or the preferences of local scribes and record-keepers.
One noteworthy bearer of the Stecker name was Johann Stecker, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1565 to 1616. He served as a professor at the University of Helmstedt and authored several works on religious and philosophical topics.
In the 18th century, a prominent military figure named Friedrich Wilhelm Stecker (1724-1793) gained recognition for his service in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and eventually attained the position of Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General).
Another individual of historical significance was the artist and engraver Carl Stecker (1811-1886), who was born in the city of Dresden, Saxony. He is known for his intricate engravings and illustrations, many of which depicted landscapes and architectural scenes.
As the Stecker name continued to spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other parts of Europe through migration and trade. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany during the medieval and early modern periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stecker
Among Census respondents with the surname Stecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stecker 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 Stecker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 1,634
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 62
- Two or more races2.3% · 40
- Black or African American1.5% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stecker
Stecker 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
#10,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,073
+883 bearers (+40.3%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 2,421 places
2020
#15,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,777
-1,296 bearers (-42.2%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 5,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,883 | 2,190 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,462 | 3,073 | 1.04 | +883 bearers (+40.3%) | Up 2,421 places |
| 2020 | #15,799 | 1,777 | 0.59 | -1,296 bearers (-42.2%) | Down 5,337 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 Stecker 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 | #10,462 | #15,799 | -51.0% |
| Count | 3,073 | 1,777 | -42.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.59 | -42.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stecker bearers went from 3,073 to 1,777 (-42.2% change). The surname moved down 5,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,462 to #15,799.
FAQ
Stecker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stecker?
Name Census estimates that about 2,038 living Americans carry the surname Stecker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,182 residents.
How common is Stecker?
Stecker ranks #15,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,777 people with the surname Stecker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Stecker.
Has Stecker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stecker went from 3,073 recorded bearers to 1,777. That is a decrease of 1,296 (-42.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,462 to #15,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Stecker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Stecker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (1,634 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stecker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Stecker (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 Stecker mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of pins, originally derived from the German word "Stecknadel" meaning "pin." 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 Stecker (0.59 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 Stecker?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Stecker? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.