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

Stendahl, 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 Stendahl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stendahl in America

Stendahl is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stendahl surname appeared 269 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 Stendahl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stendahl 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 Stendahl

The surname Stendahl has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Swedish word "sten," meaning stone, and "dal," meaning valley, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a person residing in a stony valley or a place with a similar topography.

Historically, the name Stendahl first appeared in records from the Värmland region of Sweden, where it was associated with families living in rural areas or small villages. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Karlstad, a city in Värmland, from the year 1598, where a man named Nils Stendahl was registered as a resident.

In the 17th century, the Stendahl surname gained prominence in Swedish literary circles. Johan Stendahl (1608-1677), a renowned poet and translator from Östergötland, was one of the earliest notable figures to bear the name. His collection of poems, titled "Dikter," published in 1654, is considered a significant contribution to Swedish literature of that era.

As the name spread across Sweden, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Stendal, Stenndahl, and Stenndal, reflecting regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. In the 18th century, the name appeared in records from the Västergötland region, where a farmer named Lars Stendahl (1712-1788) owned a substantial plot of land near the town of Falköping.

One of the most famous individuals to carry the Stendahl surname was Johan August Stendahl (1806-1872), a Swedish painter and art teacher. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts and later became a professor at the prestigious institution, influencing generations of Swedish artists with his teachings and works.

Another notable figure was the industrialist and philanthropist Carl Stendahl (1841-1912), who made his fortune in the textile industry and founded the Stendahl Foundation, which provided financial support for educational and cultural initiatives in Sweden.

In more recent times, the name Stendahl has been associated with academics and intellectuals. Erik Stendahl (1919-2008), a renowned Swedish linguist and professor at Uppsala University, made significant contributions to the study of Scandinavian languages and their historical development.

While the surname Stendahl may have originated in a specific geographical region, it has since spread across Sweden and beyond, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's history and legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stendahl

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

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

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

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