2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stefans
A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Stefans. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stefans 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Stefans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stefans, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stefans
The surname Stefans has its origins in the Greek language, deriving from the Greek word "stephanos," which means "crown" or "garland." This name likely emerged during the Byzantine period in regions where Greek culture and language held significant influence, including parts of modern-day Greece, Turkey, and surrounding areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Stefans can be traced back to the 11th and 12th centuries in various Byzantine manuscripts and records. One notable individual bearing this name was Theodoros Stefans, a prominent scholar and theologian from Constantinople who lived in the late 12th century.
As the Byzantine Empire expanded and its influence spread, the name Stefans traveled across the Mediterranean region. In the 13th century, it appeared in records from the Republic of Venice, where a merchant named Marco Stefans is mentioned in trade documents from 1268.
During the late medieval period, variations of the name emerged, such as Stefano, Stephano, and Stephanus, reflecting the linguistic influences of different regions. One notable figure from this era was Tommaso Stefano, an Italian painter and architect who lived in the 15th century and contributed to the design of several churches in Rome.
As the centuries passed, the surname Stefans spread further across Europe and beyond. In the 16th century, a German scholar named Johannes Stephanus, born in 1512, gained recognition for his works on medicine and natural philosophy.
Across the Atlantic, the name appeared in the early colonial records of the Americas. One notable individual was Juan Stefans, a Spanish explorer who participated in expeditions to the Caribbean and Central America in the late 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Pieter Stefans, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century and was renowned for his landscapes and depictions of everyday life in the Netherlands.
As the centuries progressed, the Stefans surname continued to be carried by individuals from various backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture across different regions of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stefans
Among Census respondents with the surname Stefans, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Stefans 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 Stefans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stefans
Stefans 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
+9 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,524 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 Stefans 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 | #148,665 | -3.1% |
| Count | 115 | 111 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stefans bearers went from 115 to 111 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #148,665.
FAQ
Stefans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stefans?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Stefans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Stefans?
Stefans ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Stefans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Stefans.
Has Stefans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stefans went from 115 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Stefans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stefans, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Stefans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stefans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Stefans (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 Stefans mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath". 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 Stefans (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 many Americans have the surname Stefans?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.