2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stempky
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "staff" or "cane".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Stempky. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stempky 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Stempky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stempky
The surname Stempky originated in the region of Silesia, which spans across modern-day Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th century, a time when many Slavic and Germanic tribes settled in this area. The name Stempky is thought to be derived from the Old Polish word "stempka," which referred to a wooden peg or stake used in construction.
One of the earliest known records of the name Stempky can be found in a land registry from the town of Głogów, located in present-day southwestern Poland. Dated to the year 1324, the document mentions a certain "Johannes Stempky" as a landowner in the region. This suggests that the Stempky family may have held a prominent position within the community at that time.
In the 15th century, a manuscript from the Cistercian monastery in Lubiąż, near Wrocław, includes a reference to a monk named "Frater Petrus Stempky." This indicates that members of the Stempky family were also active within the religious orders of the time.
During the late 16th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Sztempky," appeared in the records of the town of Opole, located in modern-day southwestern Poland. This spelling variation likely emerged due to the influence of the Polish language on the name's pronunciation.
One notable individual bearing the Stempky surname was Jan Stempky, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 17th century. He is known for his participation in the Polish-Swedish War, where he fought to defend the city of Poznań against the Swedish forces.
Another distinguished figure was Maria Stempky, a renowned painter and artist who lived in the 18th century. Born in the city of Kraków, she is celebrated for her masterful portraiture and her contributions to the development of the Polish Baroque art style.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Aleksander Stempky, a Polish philosopher and educator. He was born in 1822 in the town of Tarnów and was known for his work in promoting educational reforms and advocating for the inclusion of philosophy in the curriculums of Polish schools.
The name Stempky has also been associated with various place names throughout its history. For example, the village of Stempkowo in central Poland is believed to have derived its name from the Stempky family, who may have been among its earliest settlers.
While the Stempky surname is not as widespread today, it remains a significant part of the cultural heritage of the regions where it originated, serving as a reminder of the rich history and diverse influences that have shaped the names and identities of people across Central and Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stempky
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stempky 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 Stempky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stempky
Stempky 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,922 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,922 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 780 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 Stempky 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 | #153,769 | #152,989 | 0.5% |
| Count | 106 | 105 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stempky bearers went from 106 to 105 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,989.
FAQ
Stempky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stempky?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Stempky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Stempky?
Stempky ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Stempky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Stempky.
Has Stempky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stempky went from 106 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Stempky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Stempky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stempky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Stempky (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 Stempky mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "staff" or "cane". 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 Stempky (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 have the last name Stempky?
See how many Americans have the surname Stempky on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.