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

Sterrett, 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 Sterrett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sterrett in America

Sterrett is the 11257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sterrett surname appeared 2,808 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 Sterrett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sterrett 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 Sterrett

The surname Sterrett is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "stair" meaning valley or descent, and "ait" meaning a promontory or projecting piece of land. The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, referring to someone who lived in a valley near a prominent landmark or outcropping.

The earliest known record of the name Sterrett appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document recording the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, it is spelled as "Stervite" and "Sterviter", indicating the spelling has evolved over time.

In the 16th century, the Sterrett name is mentioned in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, a record of official documents issued by the Scottish government. This suggests the family had gained some prominence and landholdings during this period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Sterrett, born around 1550 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was a landowner and farmer, and his descendants continued to reside in the region for several generations.

In the late 17th century, a branch of the Sterrett family migrated to Ulster, Ireland, where the name was anglicized to various spellings such as "Sterritt" and "Sterret". This was a common practice for Scottish families settling in Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster.

Notable individuals with the Sterrett surname include:

1. Sir Samuel Sterrett (1659-1735), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
2. Robert Sterrett (1785-1864), an American naval officer who fought in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.
3. Mary Sterrett (1858-1942), an American author and educator, known for her work in promoting women's education.
4. James Sterrett (1876-1957), an American classical scholar and archaeologist, known for his excavations in Corinth, Greece.
5. Samuel Sterrett (1892-1978), an American actor and playwright, best known for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in the 1946 film "Song of the South".

The Sterrett name can also be found in various place names, such as Sterrett Creek in West Virginia, and Sterrett Township in Pennsylvania, reflecting the migration patterns of Scottish and Scots-Irish families to North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sterrett

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

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

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

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