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

Steger, 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 Steger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steger in America

Steger is the 6490th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steger surname appeared 5,231 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 Steger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steger 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 Steger

The surname Steger has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "steg," meaning "path" or "narrow bridge," suggesting that the name may have originated from a location or region with these features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Steger can be found in the German city of Nuremberg, where a certain Heinricus Steger was mentioned in a document from the year 1363. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various German records, including the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a Hanns Steger was documented in 1456. This indicates that the name had spread to different areas of Germany over time.

During the 16th century, the name Steger can be found in various regions of Germany, including the town of Memmingen, where a Christoph Steger was born around 1520. This individual later became a renowned Protestant theologian and writer, contributing to the spread and recognition of the Steger name.

Another notable figure bearing the Steger surname was Johann Steger, a German composer and organist who lived from 1570 to 1633. He was renowned for his sacred music compositions and served as the court organist in Stuttgart.

In the 18th century, the name Steger appeared in the records of the town of Bamberg, where a Johann Michael Steger was born in 1718. He later became a respected jurist and legal scholar, further adding to the prominence of the Steger name.

As the Steger family spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Steger, Steeger, and Stegger. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.

Another notable figure with the Steger surname was Wilhelm Steger, a German author and journalist who lived from 1848 to 1922. He was known for his works on German literature and culture, as well as his involvement in various political and social movements of his time.

While the Steger name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the earliest and most significant historical records of the name can be traced back to its German origins in the Middle Ages and the subsequent centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steger

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

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

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

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