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

Sternberg, 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 Sternberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sternberg in America

Sternberg is the 8405th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sternberg surname appeared 3,935 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sternberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sternberg 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 Sternberg

The surname Sternberg has its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the German words "Stern" meaning "star" and "Berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent landmark such as a hill or mountain with a star-shaped pattern or symbol.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sternberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburg, a collection of historical documents from the former Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in various chronicles and records from the region during the Middle Ages.

During the 14th century, the Sternberg family held significant land and power in the areas around Sternberg, a town in the modern-day state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The town itself derives its name from the family, indicating their influence and prominence in the region at that time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname Sternberg was Günther von Sternberg (1420-1489), a German knight and military commander. He served under Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg, and played a crucial role in the Prussian conquest of the Duchy of Pomerania.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Count Adam Sternberg (1579-1623), a Bohemian nobleman and military leader who fought in the Thirty Years' War. He was a supporter of the Protestant cause and served as the commander-in-chief of the Protestant armies in Bohemia.

In the 18th century, Count Franz Philipp von Sternberg (1763-1830) was a notable Czech naturalist and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of paleobotany and was a patron of the sciences, supporting numerous scientific expeditions and research projects.

The name Sternberg has also been associated with several place names throughout Central Europe, such as Sternberg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, and Sternberk in the Czech Republic. These locations likely derived their names from the Sternberg family or the geographical features associated with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sternberg

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

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

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

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