2000
#8,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Steiger
An occupational surname for a person who climbs or works on steep structures, derived from German "steigen" meaning "to climb."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,244 Americans carry the last name Steiger. That puts it at #8,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steiger 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
4.2K
1 in 80,762
Census rank
#8,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,701 bearers of the surname Steiger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steiger
The surname Steiger is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "steigen," meaning "to climb" or "to ascend." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived on a hillside or in a mountainous region.
The earliest recorded instances of the Steiger name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Swabia. During this time, surnames were becoming more widespread, often reflecting a person's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of residence.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Steiger name was Johannes Steiger, a merchant from Augsburg, who is mentioned in historical records from the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Hans Steiger, a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, who lived from 1515 to 1592 and was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces.
In the 16th century, the Steiger name appears in the records of the city of Bern, Switzerland, where it was associated with several prominent families. One such family, the Steigers of Bern, played a significant role in the city's political and cultural life during this period.
The name Steiger is also linked to several place names in Germany and Switzerland, such as Steigerwald, a low mountain range in Bavaria, and Steigerwaldgebirge, a range of hills in the Swiss canton of Aargau. These place names likely originated from the same root as the surname, reflecting the geographical features of the areas.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Steiger was Rudolf Steiger, a Swiss philosopher and esotericist who founded the Anthroposophical Society in 1913. His teachings and writings on spirituality and human development have had a lasting influence on various fields, including education, agriculture, and medicine.
Other notable figures with the Steiger surname include:
1. Max Steiger (1888-1971), a Swiss writer and journalist known for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Switzerland.
2. Johann Steiger (1594-1669), a German theologian and academic who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
3. Gaston Steiger (1920-2003), a French politician and member of the European Parliament, known for his work on environmental issues.
4. Walter Steiger (1908-1990), a Swiss architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Zurich and Basel.
5. Yvonne Steiger (born 1947), a Swiss painter and sculptor known for her abstract and figurative works.
While the Steiger name has maintained a strong presence in German-speaking regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, reflecting the diverse and rich history of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steiger
Among Census respondents with the surname Steiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Steiger 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 Steiger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,416
- Two or more races3.1% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steiger
Steiger 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
#8,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,986
+158 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 313 places
2020
#8,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,701
-285 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,000 | 3,828 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,313 | 3,986 | 1.35 | +158 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 313 places |
| 2020 | #8,535 | 3,701 | 1.24 | -285 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 222 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 Steiger 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 | #8,313 | #8,535 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,986 | 3,701 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.24 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steiger bearers went from 3,986 to 3,701 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 222 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,313 to #8,535.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Steiger
FAQ
Steiger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steiger?
Name Census estimates that about 4,244 living Americans carry the surname Steiger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,762 residents.
How common is Steiger?
Steiger ranks #8,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,701 people with the surname Steiger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,244), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Steiger.
Has Steiger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steiger went from 3,986 recorded bearers to 3,701. That is a decrease of 285 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,313 to #8,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Steiger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Steiger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,416 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steiger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Steiger (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 Steiger mean?
An occupational surname for a person who climbs or works on steep structures, derived from German "steigen" meaning "to climb." 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 Steiger (1.24 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 common is the surname Steiger?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Steiger is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.