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

Stemley, 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 Stemley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stemley in America

Stemley is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stemley surname appeared 248 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 Stemley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stemley 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 Stemley

The surname Stemley originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'stæm', meaning 'branch' or 'stem', and 'leah', meaning 'woodland clearing' or 'meadow'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a wooded area or a clearing surrounded by trees.

The earliest known record of the Stemley surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, where it was spelled 'Stemelegh'. This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized English orthography. Other early spellings included 'Stemeley', 'Stemelye', and 'Stemleigh'.

One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was John de Stemeley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1284. These rolls were a form of medieval tax records, indicating that the Stemley family had established themselves as landowners in the region.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several manorial records and land charters, suggesting that the Stemleys had become a prominent family in various parts of northern England. For example, a Richard Stemley was listed as a landowner in the village of Ripon, North Yorkshire, in 1327.

During the 16th century, the surname began to spread beyond Yorkshire, with records showing Stemley families in counties like Lancashire and Cheshire. One notable figure from this period was William Stemley (1523-1592), a merchant and alderman in the city of Chester.

As the centuries progressed, the Stemley name continued to be found across England, with pockets of concentration in the northern regions. In the 18th century, a Robert Stemley (1712-1785) was a prominent landowner and magistrate in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Another individual of note was Sir John Stemley (1789-1867), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire who made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in the region.

While the Stemley surname is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its Old English roots in the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stemley

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

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

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

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