2000
#12,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,369
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Sthilaire
A French toponymic surname derived from several places named Saint-Hilaire, meaning "sacred hilarious one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,329 Americans carry the last name Sthilaire. That puts it at #10,539 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,960 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sthilaire 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 Sthilaire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,960
Census rank
#10,539
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,903 bearers of the surname Sthilaire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10539th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sthilaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sthilaire
The surname STHILAIRE originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "saint" and "hilaire," meaning "Saint Hilary." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a place or region dedicated to the Catholic saint of the same name.
One of the earliest known records of the STHILAIRE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation conducted in England in 1086. This reference provides evidence that the name had already spread beyond France by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the STHILAIRE name appeared in various forms, including Sainthilaire, Saintehilaire, and Saintehillaire, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions.
Notable individuals with the STHILAIRE surname include:
1. Jean-Baptiste STHILAIRE (1588-1658), a French military officer who served during the Thirty Years' War.
2. Marie-Claire STHILAIRE (1721-1798), a French nun and educator known for her work in establishing schools for girls.
3. Louis STHILAIRE (1795-1867), a French explorer and naturalist who documented the flora and fauna of South America.
4. Émile STHILAIRE (1834-1912), a French politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.
5. Marguerite STHILAIRE (1881-1963), a French artist renowned for her distinctive impressionist landscapes.
The STHILAIRE name has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the village of Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët in Normandy, France, derives its name from the same origins as the surname, reflecting the region's ties to the Catholic saint.
While the STHILAIRE surname may have evolved over time and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to medieval France and its connection to the veneration of Saint Hilary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sthilaire
Among Census respondents with the surname Sthilaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sthilaire 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 Sthilaire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.1% · 1,715
- Black or African American33.8% · 982
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 113
- Two or more races2.2% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sthilaire
Sthilaire 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
#11,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,831
+462 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 912 places
2020
#10,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,903
+72 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,084 | 2,369 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,172 | 2,831 | 0.96 | +462 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 912 places |
| 2020 | #10,539 | 2,903 | 0.97 | +72 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 633 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 Sthilaire 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 | #11,172 | #10,539 | 5.7% |
| Count | 2,831 | 2,903 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.97 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sthilaire bearers went from 2,831 to 2,903 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 633 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,172 to #10,539.
FAQ
Sthilaire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sthilaire?
Name Census estimates that about 3,329 living Americans carry the surname Sthilaire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,960 residents.
How common is Sthilaire?
Sthilaire ranks #10,539 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,903 people with the surname Sthilaire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,329), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Sthilaire.
Has Sthilaire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sthilaire went from 2,831 recorded bearers to 2,903. That is an increase of 72 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,172 to #10,539.
What does the Census say about the background of Sthilaire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sthilaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Sthilaire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.1% (1,715 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sthilaire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.1%), Black (33.8%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Sthilaire (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 Sthilaire mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from several places named Saint-Hilaire, meaning "sacred hilarious one." 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 Sthilaire (0.97 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 are called Sthilaire?
Find out how common the surname Sthilaire is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.