2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stellner
A German surname meaning "tenant farmer" or "tenant of a farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Stellner. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stellner 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Stellner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stellner
The surname Stellner is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "stelle," which means "place" or "location." The name is believed to have originated in the 14th century, during the time when the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in the German-speaking regions of Europe.
The earliest known instances of the Stellner surname can be traced back to the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is likely that the name initially referred to someone who lived in a specific place or location, perhaps a small village or hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Stellner surname can be found in the Codex Hirsaugiensis, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document contains a list of individuals, including a certain "Cunradus Stellner," suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Stellner surname was Johannes Stellner, a German scholar and theologian born in the town of Memmingen in 1481. He was known for his work in the field of canon law and served as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.
Another prominent individual with the Stellner surname was Friedrich Stellner, a German artist and printmaker who lived from 1594 to 1654. He was renowned for his intricate etchings and engravings, which depicted various scenes from daily life and religious themes.
During the 17th century, a family of Stellners gained prominence in the town of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the metalworking and clockmaking industries. One of the most notable members of this family was Hans Stellner, a skilled clockmaker born in 1623, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons.
In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Stellner surname was Karl Stellner, a German architect and urban planner born in 1833. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in cities such as Berlin and Frankfurt.
Over time, the Stellner surname has spread beyond its original German roots and can now be found in various parts of the world, including other European countries, North America, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stellner
Among Census respondents with the surname Stellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stellner 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 Stellner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 92
- Two or more races4.1% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stellner
Stellner 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,446 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-5 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 965 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 15,446 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.9%) | Up 965 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 Stellner 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 | #157,234 | #156,269 | 0.6% |
| Count | 103 | 98 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stellner bearers went from 103 to 98 (-4.9% change). The surname moved up 965 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,269.
FAQ
Stellner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stellner?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Stellner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Stellner?
Stellner ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 98 people with the surname Stellner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Stellner.
Has Stellner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stellner went from 103 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Stellner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Stellner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stellner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Stellner (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 Stellner mean?
A German surname meaning "tenant farmer" or "tenant of a farm." 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 Stellner (0.03 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 many people are called Stellner?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Stellner? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.