2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sterkenburg
A locational surname originating from Sterrenburg, Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 164 Americans carry the last name Sterkenburg. That puts it at #125,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,089,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sterkenburg 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
164
1 in 2,089,965
Census rank
#125,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
143
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 143 bearers of the surname Sterkenburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterkenburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sterkenburg
The surname Sterkenburg is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Dutch words "sterk," meaning "strong," and "burg," meaning "fortified town or castle." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a strong or well-fortified town or castle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sterkenburg can be found in the Dutch province of Utrecht in the 14th century. The name appeared in various municipal records and documents from that region during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named Henricus Sterkenburg was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Leiden. He was born in 1421 and passed away in 1489.
During the 16th century, the Sterkenburg family played a significant role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. Jan Sterkenburg (1543-1611) was a military commander who fought alongside William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch Revolt.
In the 17th century, a scholar and philosopher named Pieter Sterkenburg (1625-1697) gained recognition for his writings on metaphysics and ethics. He taught at the University of Leiden and was widely respected for his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another notable figure with the surname Sterkenburg was Adriaan Sterkenburg (1712-1781), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities during the 18th century.
The name Sterkenburg has also been associated with various place names in the Netherlands, such as the village of Sterkenburg in the municipality of Molenlanden, and the former castle and estate of Sterkenburg in the city of Utrecht.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Sterkenburg has maintained its strong presence in the Netherlands, with many individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, including commerce, military, academia, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sterkenburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterkenburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sterkenburg 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 Sterkenburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 137
- Two or more races2.1% · 3
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sterkenburg
Sterkenburg 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-23 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,337 places
2020
#125,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+22 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,572 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 25,337 places |
| 2020 | #125,732 | 143 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 12,572 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 Sterkenburg 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 | #138,304 | #125,732 | 9.1% |
| Count | 121 | 143 | 18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 19.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sterkenburg bearers went from 121 to 143 (+18.2% change). The surname moved up 12,572 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #125,732.
FAQ
Sterkenburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sterkenburg?
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the surname Sterkenburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,089,965 residents.
How common is Sterkenburg?
Sterkenburg ranks #125,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 143 people with the surname Sterkenburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Sterkenburg.
Has Sterkenburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sterkenburg went from 121 recorded bearers to 143. That is an increase of 22 (+18.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #138,304 to #125,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Sterkenburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterkenburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Sterkenburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sterkenburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Two or More Races (2.1%), Black (0.7%). 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 Sterkenburg (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 Sterkenburg mean?
A locational surname originating from Sterrenburg, Netherlands. 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 Sterkenburg (0.05 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 Sterkenburg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.