2000
#1,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.99
Uncommon Last name
Steward
An occupational surname referring to a household or estate manager, or one who supervises servants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,417 Americans carry the last name Steward. That puts it at #1,643 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,038 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steward 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Steward with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,038
Census rank
#1,643
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,293 bearers of the surname Steward in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1643rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steward, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steward
The surname "STEWARD" is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "stigweard," which means "house guardian" or "keeper of the hall." The earliest recorded spelling of the name is "Stiward," which appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176.
The name "STEWARD" was initially used as an occupational surname for someone who was responsible for managing a household or estate. It was a position of great importance and trust, as the steward oversaw the daily operations and finances of a noble family or landowner.
During the Middle Ages, the role of the steward became more formalized, and many prominent families employed stewards to manage their estates and affairs. The name "STEWARD" can be found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several landowners with the name in various counties of England.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "STEWARD" was William le Stiward, who lived in Cambridgeshire around 1210. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Stewart, who was born in 1360 and served as High Steward of Scotland during the reign of King Robert II.
In the 14th century, the Stewart family became one of the most powerful dynasties in Scotland, eventually ascending to the Scottish throne. Robert II, who ruled from 1371 to 1390, was the first monarch of the House of Stewart. Other notable individuals with the surname "STEWARD" include Sir Thomas Steward (1555-1615), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament, and William Steward (1573-1645), a prominent English sculptor and architect.
The surname "STEWARD" also has variations in spelling, including Stewart, Stuart, and Stuard, which were derived from the Old French word "estuart." These variations were particularly common in Scotland and Ireland, where the name was adopted by many noble families.
Throughout history, the surname "STEWARD" has been associated with positions of authority, responsibility, and trust, reflecting its origins as an occupational name for a household manager. While the name has evolved over time, it continues to carry a sense of stewardship and guardianship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steward
Among Census respondents with the surname Steward, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Steward 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 Steward surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.1% · 11,094
- Black or African American37.1% · 7,903
- Two or more races5.8% · 1,233
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 813
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 144
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steward
Steward 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
#1,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,318
+760 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 7.57
Rank movement Down 77 places
2020
#1,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,293
-1,025 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 7.12
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,533 | 21,558 | 7.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,610 | 22,318 | 7.57 | +760 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 77 places |
| 2020 | #1,643 | 21,293 | 7.12 | -1,025 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 33 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 Steward 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 | #1,610 | #1,643 | -2.0% |
| Count | 22,318 | 21,293 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 7.57 | 7.12 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steward bearers went from 22,318 to 21,293 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,610 to #1,643.
FAQ
Steward surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steward?
Name Census estimates that about 24,417 living Americans carry the surname Steward. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,038 residents.
How common is Steward?
Steward ranks #1,643 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,293 people with the surname Steward. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,417), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Steward.
Has Steward become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steward went from 22,318 recorded bearers to 21,293. That is a decrease of 1,025 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,610 to #1,643.
What does the Census say about the background of Steward?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steward, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Steward in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.1% (11,094 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steward appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.1%), Black (37.1%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Steward (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 Steward mean?
An occupational surname referring to a household or estate manager, or one who supervises servants. 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 Steward (7.12 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 Americans have the surname Steward?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.