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

Steffes, 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 Steffes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steffes in America

Steffes is the 11524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steffes surname appeared 2,729 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 Steffes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steffes 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 Steffes

The surname Steffes originated in Germany and is derived from the personal name Stephan, which in turn comes from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath." The name was introduced to Germany during the early medieval period through Christianity.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Steffes can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. The name was often spelled in various ways, including Steffes, Steffers, and Steffens, reflecting local dialectal variations.

In the 14th century, the surname Steffes appeared in several historical records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the Margraviate of Brandenburg. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Johannes Steffes, a merchant from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a trade agreement from 1367.

The Steffes family had a presence in several German towns and cities throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. For instance, in the 15th century, a family by the name of Steffes resided in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Steffes was Heinrich Steffes, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1480. He is renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations and religious artwork, some of which can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.

During the 17th century, the Steffes name gained prominence in the region of Württemberg, where a family branch settled and established themselves as respected landowners and vintners. One notable member of this branch was Johann Steffes (1623-1697), a successful winemaker whose vineyards were highly regarded for their quality.

In the 19th century, a Steffes family from the town of Weilheim an der Teck in Württemberg produced several notable figures. Friedrich Steffes (1814-1892) was a respected educator and author who wrote several pedagogical works and textbooks that were widely used in German schools during his time.

Throughout its history, the surname Steffes has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, tradesmen, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who carried this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steffes

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

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

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

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