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

Stelle, 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 Stelle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stelle in America

Stelle is the 37341st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stelle surname appeared 597 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Stelle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stelle 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 Stelle

The surname Stelle originated in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "stella," meaning "star." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent star-shaped landmark or who bore a distinguishing mark resembling a star.

In the early days, the name was spelled in various ways, including Stell, Stelle, and Stellen. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German documents and records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Stelle, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Stelle, a Lutheran theologian and author who was born in 1592 and died in 1654.

The name Stelle can also be traced to several place names in Germany, such as Stelle, a town in Lower Saxony, and Stellenkirchen, a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa.

In the 17th century, the name Stelle appeared in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German regions, suggesting its widespread use among both urban and rural populations.

One of the most famous bearers of the Stelle surname was Johann Gottlieb Fichte, a German philosopher who lived from 1762 to 1814. His work greatly influenced the development of German idealism and nationalism.

Another notable figure with the surname Stelle was Georg Stelle, a German composer and organist who was born in 1631 and died in 1679. He was known for his contributions to the development of Lutheran church music.

In the 19th century, the Stelle surname gained prominence in the United States, as German immigrants brought the name to the New World. One such individual was August Stelle, a German-American engineer and inventor who lived from 1825 to 1888.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stelle

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

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

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

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