2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stickford
An English locational surname derived from a place named after a shallow ford over a river where sticks were used as markers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Stickford. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stickford 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Stickford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stickford
The surname Stickford is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the town of Stickford in Lincolnshire, England. This place name itself is composed of the Old English elements "sticca," meaning a stick or bough, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it appears as "de Stikeforde." This document, a census-like record from the reign of King Edward I, provides valuable insight into the distribution and spelling variations of the name during that era.
The Stickford name also appears in various other historic records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1524, which mention a William Stykford. This suggests that the surname had already become well-established by the 16th century.
Among notable individuals bearing the Stickford surname, one can mention John Stickford, a prominent merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire who lived in the latter half of the 15th century. Records indicate that he was actively involved in trade and held significant property holdings in the region.
Another notable figure was Sir William Stickford, a knight who served under King Henry VIII in the early 16th century. He was rewarded for his military service with land grants and is mentioned in several chronicles from the Tudor period.
Moving forward in time, Robert Stickford (1592-1669) was a notable Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Boxted in Essex during the English Civil War. His published works, including sermons and religious treatises, provide valuable insights into the theological debates of that era.
In the 18th century, Sarah Stickford (1720-1794) gained recognition as a skilled embroiderer and needleworker. Her intricate and highly regarded pieces can be found in various museum collections, showcasing the craftsmanship of the period.
Finally, one cannot overlook Sir Frederick Stickford (1819-1892), a distinguished British diplomat and statesman who served as ambassador to several European courts during the Victorian era. His memoirs and correspondence offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of 19th-century diplomacy and international relations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stickford
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stickford 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 Stickford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stickford
Stickford 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,522 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,522 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,524 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 Stickford 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 | #144,141 | #148,665 | -3.1% |
| Count | 115 | 111 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stickford bearers went from 115 to 111 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #148,665.
FAQ
Stickford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stickford?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Stickford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Stickford?
Stickford ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Stickford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Stickford.
Has Stickford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stickford went from 115 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Stickford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Stickford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stickford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Stickford (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 Stickford mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place named after a shallow ford over a river where sticks were used as markers. 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 Stickford (0.04 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 have the last name Stickford?
If you just want to know how common the surname Stickford is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.