Stemmle
A German surname derived from the word "Stemm" meaning "stump" or "trunk."
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Stemmle. That puts it at #146,011 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stemmle 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.
Stemmle appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#146,011
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Stemmle in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146011th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stemmle, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stemmle
The surname Stemmle has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in Germany. The earliest documented occurrences of this surname can be traced back to the medieval period, potentially around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the southwestern part of Germany, particularly in the areas of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where many German surnames have roots.
The name Stemmle likely derives from a regional dialect word or an occupation. One possible origin is from the Middle High German word "stamm," meaning "trunk" or "stem," paired with a diminutive suffix "-le," which would indicate "little trunk" or "small stem." This meaning could imply a connection to a physical feature in the landscape, such as a notable tree or forested area, or perhaps an occupation related to forestry or woodworking.
The earliest recorded example of the surname Stemmle can be found in local parish records and town documents from the late 15th century. In a 1492 register from the state of Baden-Württemberg, the name Hans Stemmle appears, indicating the presence of the family in the region at that time. Another early instance includes the appearance of a Georg Stemmle in a 1527 tax record from Bavaria, demonstrating the spread of the surname within Germany.
Further historical references to the surname can be seen in various legal documents and municipal records. For example, in a legal dispute documented in 1583, a merchant named Johannes Stemmle was mentioned in connection with a trade agreement in the town of Ulm. This suggests that the Stemmle family was involved in commercial activities during the Renaissance period.
One notable individual bearing the surname is Johann Jakob Stemmle, born in 1650, who was a prominent civic leader in the city of Stuttgart. He held the position of city councilor and was involved in several significant municipal reforms during his tenure.
Another well-known figure is Karl Friedrich Stemmle, a clockmaker from the Black Forest region, born in 1798. His intricately designed timepieces gained widespread recognition, and some of his work can still be found in museums dedicated to horology.
In the 19th century, Elisabeth Stemmle, born in 1834, became a known social reformer in Bavaria. She was instrumental in advocating for the improvement of working conditions for women and children during the industrial revolution.
Lastly, in the realm of academia, Dr. Hermann Stemmle, born in 1885, made significant contributions to the field of geology in the early 20th century. His research on the mineral composition of the Alps earned him a notable reputation amongst his peers.
Across different centuries and locations, the surname Stemmle has been borne by individuals involved in various professions and fields, reflecting its deep-rooted presence in German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stemmle
Among Census respondents with the surname Stemmle, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%.
The bar chart below shows how Stemmle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Stemmle surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1%
- Unknown or suppressed2.9%
FAQ
Stemmle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stemmle?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Stemmle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Stemmle?
Stemmle ranks #146,011 in the 2000 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2000 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Stemmle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Stemmle.
Has Stemmle become more or less common over time?
Stemmle appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Stemmle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stemmle, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. These figures come from the 2000 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 Stemmle in the 2000 Census, accounting for 97.1%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stemmle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (97.1%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Stemmle appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Stemmle mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Stemm" meaning "stump" or "trunk." 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 2000 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 Stemmle (0.04 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 Stemmle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Stemmle is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.