2000
#7,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,346
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Rare Last name
Stickney
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Stickney in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,565 Americans carry the last name Stickney. That puts it at #7,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stickney 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 Stickney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,083
Census rank
#7,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,981 bearers of the surname Stickney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stickney
The surname Stickney is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "sticca" meaning a stake or stick, and "ey" meaning an island or a piece of dry ground surrounded by marsh or water. This suggests that the name originated from a place name referring to a marshy or watery area with sticks or stakes present.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sticheneie" and "Stichenai," referring to a place in Lincolnshire, England. This place name likely evolved into the modern surname Stickney.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Stikeneye" and "Stikenay," which further solidifies its connection to the Lincolnshire place name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Stickney was William de Stickney, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273.
Another notable figure was Sir William Stickney (1590-1665), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the Stickney family established themselves as prominent landowners and gentry in Lincolnshire, with several members serving as Members of Parliament.
One significant member was William Stickney (1733-1808), a British merchant and politician who served as Governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers and as a Member of Parliament for Hull.
Another notable individual was Reverend William Stickney (1765-1835), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious and educational topics.
The Stickney surname is also associated with place names in the United States, such as Stickney, South Dakota, and Stickney Township, Illinois, likely named after early settlers with the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stickney
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stickney 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 Stickney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 3,590
- Two or more races4.2% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 97
- Black or African American1.7% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stickney
Stickney 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
#7,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,309
-37 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 609 places
2020
#7,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,981
-328 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,093 | 4,346 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,702 | 4,309 | 1.46 | -37 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 609 places |
| 2020 | #7,977 | 3,981 | 1.33 | -328 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 275 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 Stickney 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 | #7,702 | #7,977 | -3.6% |
| Count | 4,309 | 3,981 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.33 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stickney bearers went from 4,309 to 3,981 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 275 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,702 to #7,977.
FAQ
Stickney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stickney?
Name Census estimates that about 4,565 living Americans carry the surname Stickney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,083 residents.
How common is Stickney?
Stickney ranks #7,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,981 people with the surname Stickney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Stickney.
Has Stickney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stickney went from 4,309 recorded bearers to 3,981. That is a decrease of 328 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,702 to #7,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Stickney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stickney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Stickney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (3,590 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stickney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Stickney (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 Stickney mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Stickney in England. 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 Stickney (1.33 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 Stickney?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.