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

Sternquist, 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 Sternquist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sternquist in America

Sternquist is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sternquist surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sternquist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sternquist 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 Sternquist

The surname Sternquist is of Swedish origin, tracing its roots back to the 17th century. It is derived from the Swedish words "stern" meaning "star" and "qvist" meaning "branch" or "twig." The name likely originated in rural areas of Sweden, where it may have been given to someone who lived near a distinctive star-shaped tree or branch formation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sternquist can be found in the parish records of Värmland County, Sweden, from the late 1600s. These records mention a family by the name of Sternquist living in the village of Långban.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various Swedish military records, suggesting that some Sternquists served in the armed forces during that time. One notable example is Johan Sternquist (1725-1788), a Swedish army officer who fought in the Pomeranian War.

The 19th century saw the name spread beyond Sweden, as some Sternquists emigrated to other parts of the world. One such individual was Nils Sternquist (1832-1902), who left Sweden for the United States in the 1860s and settled in Minnesota.

In the 20th century, the name Sternquist gained recognition in the field of art. Erik Sternquist (1912-1972) was a prominent Swedish painter and sculptor known for his abstract works. His pieces can be found in various museums and galleries across Scandinavia.

Another notable bearer of the name was Gunnar Sternquist (1920-2005), a Swedish businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Sternquist Foundation, which supports research and education in fields such as medicine and engineering.

While the name Sternquist is relatively uncommon, it has left its mark on history through individuals from various walks of life, from military officers to artists and entrepreneurs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sternquist

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

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

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

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