2000
#10,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,737
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Stickler
A surname for a person who is precise, meticulous, or a stickler for the rules.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,934 Americans carry the last name Stickler. That puts it at #11,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stickler 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 Stickler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 116,822
Census rank
#11,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,559 bearers of the surname Stickler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stickler
The surname STICKLER is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Low German word "sticken," which means "to stitch" or "to embroider." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the textile trade, particularly in the crafting of embroidered fabrics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the STICKLER name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Westphalia, dated around 1285. Here, the name is spelled as "Stickeler," which is a variation of the modern form. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the region during the medieval period.
In the 16th century, the STICKLER name appeared in various German records, such as the Bürgerbuch (Citizens' Book) of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Stickler was mentioned in 1524. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Germany by this time.
An interesting historical reference to the STICKLER name can be found in the writings of the 17th-century German poet and satirist, Johann Michael Moscherosch. In his work "Gesichte Philanders von Sittewald," published in 1640, Moscherosch made a humorous reference to a character named "Stickler," suggesting that the surname was well-established in the region during that era.
Some notable individuals bearing the STICKLER surname throughout history include:
1. Johannes Stickler (1599-1670), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena.
2. Johann Stickler (1742-1826), an Austrian mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
3. Alphons Maria Stickler (1910-2007), a German-born Catholic cardinal who served as the Librarian and Archivist of the Holy Roman Church.
4. Franz Stickler (1934-2020), an Austrian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Feldkirch from 1984 to 2011.
5. Tarja Stickler (born 1967), a Finnish singer and songwriter best known as the former lead vocalist of the symphonic metal band Nightwish.
It is worth noting that the STICKLER surname has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Stickelsheim and Stickelberg, which may have influenced the formation and spread of the surname in certain regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stickler
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stickler 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 Stickler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 2,332
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 85
- Two or more races3.2% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stickler
Stickler 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
#9,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,264
+527 bearers (+19.3%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 809 places
2020
#11,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,559
-705 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 1,810 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,711 | 2,737 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,902 | 3,264 | 1.11 | +527 bearers (+19.3%) | Up 809 places |
| 2020 | #11,712 | 2,559 | 0.86 | -705 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 1,810 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 Stickler 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 | #9,902 | #11,712 | -18.3% |
| Count | 3,264 | 2,559 | -21.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 0.86 | -22.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stickler bearers went from 3,264 to 2,559 (-21.6% change). The surname moved down 1,810 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,902 to #11,712.
FAQ
Stickler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stickler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,934 living Americans carry the surname Stickler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,822 residents.
How common is Stickler?
Stickler ranks #11,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,559 people with the surname Stickler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,934), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Stickler.
Has Stickler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stickler went from 3,264 recorded bearers to 2,559. That is a decrease of 705 (-21.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,902 to #11,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Stickler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Stickler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (2,332 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stickler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Stickler (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 Stickler mean?
A surname for a person who is precise, meticulous, or a stickler for the rules. 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 Stickler (0.86 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 Stickler?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Stickler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.