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

Steffen, 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 Steffen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steffen in America

Steffen is the 3144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steffen surname appeared 11,494 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Steffen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steffen 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 Steffen

The surname Steffen originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Middle Ages. Derived from the Germanic personal name Stefan or Stephan, which itself comes from the Greek "Stephanos" meaning "crown" or "wreath," the name Steffen likely emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Steffen can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, where a certain "Henricus Steffen" is mentioned in a document from the year 1375. The name also appears in various other medieval records and manuscripts from different regions of Germany.

The surname Steffen has its roots in various German place names, such as Steffenberg, Steffenshagen, and Steffensweiler, which likely contributed to the formation of the surname. These place names, in turn, may have originated from personal names like Stefan or Stephan, indicating that the surname was initially used to identify individuals based on their place of origin or residence.

Over the centuries, the surname Steffen has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Johann Steffen, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1500-1570). Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Gottlieb Steffen, a German architect and urban planner who was active in the 18th century (1720-1789).

In the realm of literature, Johann Gottfried Steffen, a German writer and poet, made significant contributions during the late 18th and early 19th centuries (1766-1823). The 19th century also saw the rise of Carl Steffen, a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life (1840-1918).

One of the most influential figures with the surname Steffen was Albert Steffen, a Swiss philosopher, poet, and anthroposophist who collaborated closely with Rudolf Steiner and played a significant role in the development of anthroposophy during the early 20th century (1884-1963).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steffen

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

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

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

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