2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stensen
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stone house" or "stone dwelling".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Stensen. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stensen 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Stensen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stensen
The surname Stensen is of Danish origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 15th or early 16th century. The name is derived from the Old Danish word "stens," which means "stone" or "rocky." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a rocky or stony area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Stensen can be found in historical records from the Danish island of Funen, particularly in the town of Odense. In the 16th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Stensen in local parish registers and tax records.
One notable historical figure with the surname Stensen was Niels Stensen, a Danish scientist and Catholic convert who lived from 1638 to 1686. He is best known for his contributions to the fields of anatomy, geology, and paleontology. Stensen made significant discoveries related to the study of muscles and the formation of fossils, and he is considered a pioneer in the field of stratigraphy.
Another person of note with the surname Stensen was Hans Stensen, a Danish painter who lived in the 16th century. He is known for his religious paintings and contributions to the Northern Renaissance art movement.
In the 17th century, there are records of a family named Stensen living in the town of Svendborg on the island of Funen. This family is believed to have originated from the nearby village of Stensby, which translates to "the village of stone" or "rocky village."
During the 18th century, the surname Stensen began to spread beyond Denmark. There are records of individuals with this name living in Norway and Sweden, likely due to migration and trade between the Scandinavian countries.
In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Stensen was Rasmus Stensen, a Danish author and journalist who lived from 1823 to 1901. He was known for his works of fiction and his contributions to Danish literature.
Throughout history, the surname Stensen has maintained its connection to its Danish roots and the meaning of "stone" or "rocky." While the name may have evolved over time, it remains a testament to the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of Denmark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stensen
Among Census respondents with the surname Stensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Stensen 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 Stensen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Black or African American6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stensen
Stensen 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,695 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,695 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Stensen 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stensen bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Stensen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stensen?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Stensen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Stensen?
Stensen ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Stensen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Stensen.
Has Stensen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stensen went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Stensen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stensen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%). 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 Stensen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stensen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%). 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 Stensen (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 Stensen mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stone house" or "stone dwelling". 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 Stensen (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 share the surname Stensen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.