2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Steo
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning a foothill or steep slope.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Steo. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steo 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Steo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steo
The surname "STEO" is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in England. It is believed to have emerged from the Old English word "stede," which referred to a place or location, often a farm or an estate.
One of the earliest documented references to the name "STEO" can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxpayers compiled in 1086 under the direction of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had already established themselves as landowners or tenants by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname "STEO" was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where numerous place names incorporating the word "stede" existed. For instance, the village of Stedeford in Nottinghamshire and the town of Stedham in Sussex likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in those regions.
One notable bearer of the "STEO" surname was John Steo, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 14th century. Records indicate that he served as the Sheriff of London in 1369 and played a significant role in the city's governance and trade affairs.
In the 15th century, a branch of the Steo family settled in the county of Wiltshire, where they acquired land and established themselves as gentry. Sir William Steo, born in 1482, was a influential figure in the region and served as a knight of the shire (a member of parliament representing Wiltshire) during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another noteworthy individual with the "STEO" surname was Thomas Steo, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. Born in 1520 in Lincolnshire, Steo attended Oxford University and later became a professor of divinity at Cambridge. He was known for his influential writings on religious matters and his participation in the theological debates of the Protestant Reformation.
Throughout the centuries, the spelling of the surname underwent various changes, with variations such as "Stede," "Stedd," and "Sted" appearing in historical records. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the concept of a place or location, reflecting the significance of land ownership and ancestry in the development of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steo
Among Census respondents with the surname Steo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Steo 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 Steo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steo
Steo 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,751 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 4,751 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,892 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 Steo 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 | #140,157 | #142,049 | -1.3% |
| Count | 119 | 120 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steo bearers went from 119 to 120 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #142,049.
FAQ
Steo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steo?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Steo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Steo?
Steo ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Steo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Steo.
Has Steo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steo went from 119 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Steo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Steo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Steo (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 Steo mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning a foothill or steep slope. 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 Steo (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 are called Steo?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Steo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.