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

Steeves, 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 Steeves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steeves in America

Steeves is the 11504th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steeves surname appeared 2,734 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Steeves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steeves 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 Steeves

The surname "Steeves" is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name "Steve," a pet form of the name "Stephen." The name "Stephen" is derived from the Greek name "Stephanos," meaning "crown" or "garland."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Steeves" can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset and Wiltshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from the Old English word "stef," meaning "staff" or "stick," suggesting that it may have been an occupational surname for someone who carried a staff or worked with sticks.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname "Steeves" is John Steeves, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Another early record is that of William Steeves, who was listed in the Court Rolls of Wiltshire in 1379.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "Steeves" began to spread to other parts of England, as well as to Wales and Scotland. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Steves," "Steeves," or "Stevins."

One notable bearer of the surname "Steeves" was Sir William Steeves (1555-1623), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Another prominent figure with the surname "Steeves" was Sir John Steeves (1628-1703), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the English Civil War and later served as a Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire.

In the 18th century, the surname "Steeves" began to appear in the American colonies, particularly in New England and the British Maritime provinces of Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of John Steeves, who was born in Massachusetts in 1725.

Other notable bearers of the surname "Steeves" include:

1. William Steeves (1785-1865), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.
2. Elias Steeves (1828-1904), an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
3. Charles Steeves (1855-1937), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and was a prominent figure in the lumber industry.
4. Reverend Douglas Steeves (1904-1988), a Canadian clergyman and author who served as the Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 1966 to 1968.
5. Sharon Steeves (born 1958), a Canadian athlete and Olympian who competed in the sport of rowing and won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steeves

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

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 Steeves 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 Steeves 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 Steeves was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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