2000
#7,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Stenger
An occupational surname for a pole maker or a producer of poles, rods, or staffs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,783 Americans carry the last name Stenger. That puts it at #7,651 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stenger 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
4.8K
1 in 71,661
Census rank
#7,651
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,171 bearers of the surname Stenger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7651st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stenger
The surname Stenger is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Stenger" or "Stengler." The name is derived from the Middle High German word "stange," which means "pole" or "rod," suggesting a possible occupational origin for individuals who worked with poles or rods, such as fence-makers or pole-bearers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stenger can be found in the "Stammbuch der Nürnberger Patrizierfamilie Holzschuher" (Family Tree of the Nuremberg Patrician Family Holzschuher), dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a certain Hanns Stenger, who lived in Nuremberg around 1380.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various municipal records and court documents across German-speaking regions. Notable individuals bearing the name during this time include Heinrich Stenger, a merchant from Augsburg, who is mentioned in a trade document from 1462.
The Stenger name gained prominence in the 16th century, with several individuals leaving their mark in various fields. One of the most notable figures was Johann Stenger (1532-1599), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another individual of note was Hans Stenger (1545-1621), a skilled goldsmith from Nuremberg, whose works were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations. In the Netherlands, for instance, it was sometimes written as "Stengr" or "Stengler." In France, it appeared as "Stenger" or "Stengre."
In the 17th century, the Stenger family gained prominence in the region of Alsace, which was a contested territory between France and Germany. One notable figure from this period was Johann Georg Stenger (1626-1699), a renowned lawyer and jurist who served as the mayor of Strasbourg.
The 18th century saw the Stenger name spread further afield, with individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in various fields. Johann Stenger (1702-1780) was a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious matters. Meanwhile, in the United States, Johann Georg Stenger (1735-1819) was a German-born farmer and landowner who settled in Pennsylvania and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
As the centuries progressed, the Stenger name continued to be represented across various professions and regions. Prominent individuals included the Austrian chemist Hermann Stenger (1847-1923), who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry, and the German-American engineer Karl Stenger (1868-1935), who was instrumental in the construction of several iconic bridges in New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stenger
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stenger 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 Stenger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,863
- Two or more races3.4% · 142
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stenger
Stenger 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
#7,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,601
+384 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Up 39 places
2020
#7,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,171
-430 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,286 | 4,217 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,247 | 4,601 | 1.56 | +384 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 39 places |
| 2020 | #7,651 | 4,171 | 1.40 | -430 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 404 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 Stenger 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 | #7,247 | #7,651 | -5.6% |
| Count | 4,601 | 4,171 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.40 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stenger bearers went from 4,601 to 4,171 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,247 to #7,651.
FAQ
Stenger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stenger?
Name Census estimates that about 4,783 living Americans carry the surname Stenger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,661 residents.
How common is Stenger?
Stenger ranks #7,651 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,171 people with the surname Stenger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Stenger.
Has Stenger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stenger went from 4,601 recorded bearers to 4,171. That is a decrease of 430 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,247 to #7,651.
What does the Census say about the background of Stenger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Stenger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stenger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Stenger (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 Stenger mean?
An occupational surname for a pole maker or a producer of poles, rods, or staffs. 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 Stenger (1.40 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 surname Stenger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.