2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Steckert
A surname referring to a person from a place named Steckert or Steckerde.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Steckert. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steckert 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Steckert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steckert
The surname Steckert is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the word "Steck," which means "stick" in German, suggesting a possible connection to an occupation or a location related to sticks or staffs.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Steckert can be found in historical documents from various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhineland and Bavaria. These records date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, indicating the name's long-standing presence in the region.
One notable historical reference to the surname Steckert is found in the "Bürgermeisterbuch" (Mayor's Book) of the city of Nuremberg, which contains records of notable citizens from the 16th century. In this document, a certain Hans Steckert is mentioned as a respected burgher (citizen) of the city.
The name Steckert has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Steckerau in Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from the surname Steckert, suggesting a possible connection between the name and the region.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Steckert have achieved prominence in various fields. Here are five notable examples:
1. Johann Steckert (1588-1656), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.
2. Anna Steckert (1716-1799), a German novelist and playwright who gained recognition for her works in the late 18th century.
3. Wilhelm Steckert (1832-1914), a German architect and urban planner who contributed significantly to the design and development of several cities in Prussia.
4. Hugo Steckert (1875-1939), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the Steckert Machinery Company, a leading manufacturer of industrial equipment in the early 20th century.
5. Erika Steckert (1920-2012), a German artist and sculptor known for her abstract and modernist works, which were exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout Europe.
While the surname Steckert may have evolved and acquired different spellings over time, such as Steckart or Steckhardt, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the regions where it first appeared in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steckert
Among Census respondents with the surname Steckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Steckert 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 Steckert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 10
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steckert
Steckert 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-25 bearers (-17.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,652 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-17.9%) | Down 28,652 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 2,832 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 Steckert 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 | #144,141 | #141,309 | 2.0% |
| Count | 115 | 121 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steckert bearers went from 115 to 121 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 2,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #141,309.
FAQ
Steckert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steckert?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Steckert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Steckert?
Steckert ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Steckert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Steckert.
Has Steckert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steckert went from 115 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 6 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Steckert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Steckert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steckert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (8.3%), Black (0.8%). 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 Steckert (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 Steckert mean?
A surname referring to a person from a place named Steckert or Steckerde. 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 Steckert (0.04 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 Steckert?
Want to know how many people are called Steckert? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.