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

Stevenson, 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 Stevenson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stevenson in America

Stevenson is the 432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stevenson surname appeared 75,169 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Stevenson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stevenson 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 Stevenson

The surname Stevenson originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "stevene", which means "crown" or "garland". This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked as a crowner or held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of parchments containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Stevynson" and "Stephynson".

The name Stevenson is also closely tied to several place names in Scotland, such as Stevenston in Ayrshire and Stevenson in Haddingtonshire. These locations likely served as the ancestral homes of families bearing the surname.

Notable historical figures with the surname Stevenson include Robert Stevenson (1772-1850), a Scottish civil engineer and renowned lighthouse builder, and his son, Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), the famous Scottish novelist and poet who wrote classics like "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

Other notable individuals with the surname include Adlai E. Stevenson (1835-1914), an American politician who served as the 23rd Vice President of the United States, and Adlai E. Stevenson II (1900-1965), an American politician and diplomat who served as the 5th United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Additionally, there is J.J. Stevenson (1832-1853), a Scottish-American surveyor and explorer who conducted extensive surveys of the American West, and Celia Stevenson (1825-1895), an English writer and philanthropist who established schools for the education of women in India.

The surname Stevenson has a rich history rooted in medieval Scotland and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, from literature and engineering to politics and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stevenson

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

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

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

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