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

Stetson, 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 Stetson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stetson in America

Stetson is the 8501st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stetson surname appeared 3,875 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 Stetson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stetson 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 Stetson

The surname Stetson originates from England, with its earliest known use dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "stede" or "stede," meaning "place" or "farm," and "tun," meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived on a particular farm or in a specific location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Stetson surname appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, in 1591. The entry mentions a Thomas Stetson, who was likely one of the first bearers of this surname.

In the 17th century, several individuals with the Stetson surname played notable roles in the early history of colonial America. Robert Stetson (c. 1612-1703), one of the earliest settlers of Scituate, Massachusetts, was a prominent figure in the colony's development. His son, Joseph Stetson (1639-1714), served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court.

Another significant figure was Cornet Robert Stetson (1617-1703), who was among the first settlers of Scituate and played a crucial role in King Philip's War. He received land grants for his military service and became a prominent landowner in the area.

In the 18th century, Ammi Ruhamah Stetson (1754-1828) was a notable American judge and politician who served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court and as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.

In the 19th century, John Batterson Stetson (1830-1906) was a renowned American businessman and hat manufacturer. He founded the John B. Stetson Company, which became one of the most famous hat-making companies in the world, known for its iconic "Stetson" cowboy hats.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the Stetson surname who have played significant roles throughout history, from the early colonial era to the rise of American industry and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stetson

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

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

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

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