2000
#11,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,550
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Stenberg
A Swedish ornamental surname composed of the elements "sten" (stone) and "berg" (mountain or hill).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,790 Americans carry the last name Stenberg. That puts it at #12,211 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,851 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stenberg 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
2.8K
1 in 122,851
Census rank
#12,211
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,433 bearers of the surname Stenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12211th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stenberg
The surname Stenberg is of Swedish origin, derived from the elements "sten" meaning stone and "berg" meaning mountain or hill. It likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a rocky hill or mountainous area.
Stenberg first appeared in historical records in Sweden during the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Stockholm tax records of 1578, which lists a Nils Stenberg as a resident of the city.
In the 17th century, the name Stenberg began to appear in other parts of Sweden as well. The Swedish church records from Värmland County in 1623 mention a Lars Stenberg, while the Östergötland County records from 1642 list a Karin Stenberg.
The Stenberg surname has also been found in several old Swedish place names, such as Stenberga, a farm in Uppland County, and Stenbergstorp, a village in Skåne County. These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in those areas.
One notable historical figure with the surname Stenberg was Nils Stenberg (1749-1831), a Swedish military officer and cartographer. He served in the Swedish Army and was responsible for mapping large parts of Sweden during the late 18th century.
Another prominent Stenberg was Carl Stenberg (1815-1888), a Swedish businessman and industrialist. He founded the Stenberg Ironworks in Södermanland County, which played a significant role in Sweden's industrial revolution.
In the 20th century, Folke Stenberg (1891-1977) was a Swedish actor and film director who appeared in over 100 films during his career. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Swedish cinema.
Anna Stenberg (1902-1987) was a Swedish novelist and playwright, known for her works exploring themes of love, relationships, and societal norms. Her novel "Äktenskapet" ("The Marriage") was a bestseller in Sweden during the 1940s.
Lastly, Elin Stenberg (born 1985) is a contemporary Swedish actress who has appeared in numerous films and television series, both in Sweden and internationally. She is known for her roles in productions such as "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Vikings."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stenberg 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 Stenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,222
- Two or more races3.7% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stenberg
Stenberg 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
#11,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,637
+87 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 522 places
2020
#12,211
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,433
-204 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,352 | 2,550 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,874 | 2,637 | 0.89 | +87 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 522 places |
| 2020 | #12,211 | 2,433 | 0.81 | -204 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 337 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 Stenberg 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 | #11,874 | #12,211 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,637 | 2,433 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.81 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stenberg bearers went from 2,637 to 2,433 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 337 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,874 to #12,211.
FAQ
Stenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 2,790 living Americans carry the surname Stenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,851 residents.
How common is Stenberg?
Stenberg ranks #12,211 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,433 people with the surname Stenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,790), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Stenberg.
Has Stenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stenberg went from 2,637 recorded bearers to 2,433. That is a decrease of 204 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,874 to #12,211.
What does the Census say about the background of Stenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stenberg (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 Stenberg mean?
A Swedish ornamental surname composed of the elements "sten" (stone) and "berg" (mountain or hill). 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 Stenberg (0.81 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 Americans have the surname Stenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.