2000
#13,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Stelzer
A German occupational surname denoting a person who made or repaired stilts or wooden legs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,379 Americans carry the last name Stelzer. That puts it at #13,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stelzer 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
2.4K
1 in 144,075
Census rank
#13,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,075 bearers of the surname Stelzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stelzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stelzer
The surname Stelzer originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Stelze," which refers to a type of stilts or long poles used for walking over marshy or flooded areas. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as pole walkers or navigators of wetlands.
One of the earliest known references to the Stelzer name can be found in the 1295 records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain "Heinrich Stelzer" is mentioned as a resident. In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, including "Stelzer," "Stalzer," and "Stelczer," in medieval documents from regions such as Bavaria and Saxony.
During the 16th century, the Stelzer surname gained prominence in the town of Altdorf, near Nuremberg. Here, a family of scholars and academics bearing the name made significant contributions to the local university. Notable among them was Johann Stelzer (1511-1587), a renowned professor of medicine and philosophy at the University of Altdorf.
In the 17th century, the Stelzer name spread further across German-speaking regions, with records indicating its presence in areas such as Bohemia and Silesia. One prominent figure from this era was Johann Christoph Stelzer (1659-1722), a German theologian and writer who authored several religious works.
As the Stelzer family expanded and migrated, the name also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where they adopted the Dutch spelling "Stelzer." One notable Dutchman with this surname was Willem Stelzer (1732-1801), a renowned painter known for his landscapes and cityscapes.
The 19th century saw the Stelzer name gain recognition in various fields, including science and the arts. Carl Stelzer (1805-1879) was a German physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early electrical technologies. Meanwhile, in the realm of music, Franz Stelzer (1841-1912) was a celebrated Austrian composer and conductor who wrote several operas and orchestral works.
Throughout history, the Stelzer surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of German culture and heritage. While these are just a few examples, the name continues to hold a place in the annals of history, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stelzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Stelzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Stelzer 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 Stelzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 1,932
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 62
- Two or more races2.5% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stelzer
Stelzer 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
#14,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,144
+47 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 713 places
2020
#13,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,075
-69 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,333 | 2,097 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,046 | 2,144 | 0.73 | +47 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 713 places |
| 2020 | #13,921 | 2,075 | 0.69 | -69 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 125 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 Stelzer 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 | #14,046 | #13,921 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,144 | 2,075 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.69 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stelzer bearers went from 2,144 to 2,075 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,046 to #13,921.
FAQ
Stelzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stelzer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,379 living Americans carry the surname Stelzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,075 residents.
How common is Stelzer?
Stelzer ranks #13,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,075 people with the surname Stelzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Stelzer.
Has Stelzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stelzer went from 2,144 recorded bearers to 2,075. That is a decrease of 69 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,046 to #13,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Stelzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stelzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Stelzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,932 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stelzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Stelzer (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 Stelzer mean?
A German occupational surname denoting a person who made or repaired stilts or wooden legs. 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 Stelzer (0.69 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 Stelzer?
You can see how many people have the surname Stelzer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.