2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sternick
A surname of German or Slavic origin meaning "little star" or "starling".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Sternick. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sternick 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Sternick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sternick, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sternick
The surname STERNICK is of German origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Sternick". The name is derived from the German word "Stern", meaning "star", and likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent star-shaped landmark or had a distinguishing star-shaped feature on their property.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the STERNICK name can be found in the church records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, from the year 1562. These records document the birth of a child named Hans Sternick to a family of local farmers.
In the 17th century, the STERNICK name appears in various land and tax records from the Bavarian regions of Landshut and Ingolstadt. These records suggest that the family had established themselves as landowners and contributed to the local economy.
During the 18th century, the STERNICK name began to spread beyond Bavaria, with families carrying the name appearing in neighboring regions of Germany, such as Saxony and Württemberg. One notable individual from this period was Johann Sternick (1701-1778), a successful merchant and landowner from the town of Bamberg.
As the 19th century dawned, the STERNICK name continued to gain prominence, with several individuals achieving recognition in various fields. Among them was Karl Sternick (1821-1892), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek museum.
Another notable figure was Wilhelmine Sternick (1845-1911), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Berlin. Her efforts helped pave the way for greater access to education for women in Germany.
In the 20th century, the STERNICK name continued to be carried by individuals who made significant contributions to their respective fields. One such individual was Hans Sternick (1907-1988), a respected physicist who made important discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics.
Additionally, the name STERNICK has been associated with several places throughout Germany, including the village of Sternickerhof in Bavaria, which likely derived its name from an early STERNICK family that settled in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sternick
Among Census respondents with the surname Sternick, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sternick 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 Sternick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 11
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sternick
Sternick 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-9 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,544 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-8 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 14,544 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 9,930 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 Sternick 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 | #131,379 | #141,309 | -7.6% |
| Count | 129 | 121 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sternick bearers went from 129 to 121 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 9,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #141,309.
FAQ
Sternick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sternick?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Sternick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Sternick?
Sternick ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Sternick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Sternick.
Has Sternick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sternick went from 129 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Sternick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sternick, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Sternick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sternick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (9.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Sternick (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 Sternick mean?
A surname of German or Slavic origin meaning "little star" or "starling". 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 Sternick (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 common is the surname Sternick?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Sternick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.