2000
#8,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,762
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Stetson
A surname derived from Stitson, likely referring to someone who lived near a stony path or road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,153 Americans carry the last name Stetson. That puts it at #8,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,532 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stetson 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
4.2K
1 in 82,532
Census rank
#8,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,622 bearers of the surname Stetson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stetson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stetson
Among Census respondents with the surname Stetson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stetson 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 Stetson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 3,312
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 135
- Two or more races3.4% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stetson
Stetson 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
#8,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,875
+113 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 382 places
2020
#8,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,622
-253 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,119 | 3,762 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,501 | 3,875 | 1.31 | +113 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 382 places |
| 2020 | #8,697 | 3,622 | 1.21 | -253 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 196 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 Stetson 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 | #8,501 | #8,697 | -2.3% |
| Count | 3,875 | 3,622 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.21 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stetson bearers went from 3,875 to 3,622 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 196 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,501 to #8,697.
FAQ
Stetson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stetson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,153 living Americans carry the surname Stetson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,532 residents.
How common is Stetson?
Stetson ranks #8,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,622 people with the surname Stetson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,153), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Stetson.
Has Stetson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stetson went from 3,875 recorded bearers to 3,622. That is a decrease of 253 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,501 to #8,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Stetson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stetson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Stetson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (3,312 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stetson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Stetson (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 Stetson mean?
A surname derived from Stitson, likely referring to someone who lived near a stony path or road. 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 Stetson (1.21 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 many people share the surname Stetson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.