Find out how popular the last name Stedman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Stedman.

Stedman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Stedman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stedman in America

Stedman is the 7282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stedman surname appeared 4,576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Stedman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stedman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Stedman

The surname STEDMAN is of English origin, arising in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "stede" meaning place or farm, and "man" referring to an inhabitant. The name initially referred to someone who lived on or worked at a farm or estate.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Stedeman and Steddeman in 13th century records from counties like Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England. Variations like Stidman and Studman also emerged over time. Similar place names that may have contributed to the surname include Stede in Suffolk and Stidham in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Stedeman, recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1279. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297 mention a John Stedeman as a taxpayer.

By the 14th century, examples of the surname can be found across England. The Poll Tax records of 1381 list a Thomas Stedeman in Bedfordshire and a Robert Stedeman in Buckinghamshire. A John Stedman is recorded in the Register of the Freemen of York in 1399.

Notable historical figures with this surname include Edmund Stedman (c.1494-1558), a Protestant reformer and Bishop of Peterborough during the English Reformation. John Gabriel Stedman (1744-1797) was a British-Dutch soldier and author who wrote a famous narrative about his experiences in Suriname.

Other prominent individuals bearing this name were Thomas Stedman (1618-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons, and John Stedman (1744-1825), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Charles Stedman (1753-1812) was an English engraver and author known for his works on architecture and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stedman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Stedman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stedman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Stedman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Stedman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stedman, please contact us.

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