2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stidfole
A surname for a stubborn or inflexible person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Stidfole. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stidfole 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Stidfole in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stidfole, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stidfole
The surname STIDFOLE originated in the rural regions of northern England, likely emerging in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "stid" meaning firm or steadfast, and "fole" meaning foal or young horse. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with or bred strong, sturdy horses.
One of the earliest known records of the STIDFOLE name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1247, where a Robert Stidfole is listed as a landowner. The name is also found in various medieval tax and census records from villages in Northumberland and Durham.
An intriguing historical reference comes from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1365, which document a dispute between a John Stidfole and a neighboring farmer over grazing rights for their livestock. This provides insight into the agricultural roots of the name.
By the 15th century, variations in spelling had emerged, including Stidfoale, Stydfolle, and Stydfeild. These different forms likely reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
Notable individuals bearing the STIDFOLE name throughout history include:
1. Richard Stidfole (c. 1420 - 1489), a prosperous wool merchant from Yorkshire who left a sizable estate upon his death.
2. Elizabeth Stidfole (c. 1550 - 1622), a skilled embroiderer from Durham whose intricate needlework adorned the vestments of several local churches.
3. John Stydfolle (1609 - 1673), a Puritan minister from Northumberland who was briefly imprisoned during the English Civil War for his outspoken religious views.
4. Mary Stidfeild (1745 - 1823), a philanthropist from Newcastle upon Tyne who funded the construction of several schools and almshouses for the poor.
5. William Stidfole (1802 - 1887), a successful coal mine owner from County Durham who played a significant role in the industrial development of the region.
While the STIDFOLE name originated in northern England, over time it spread to other parts of the country and even beyond, with descendants likely carrying the name to new settlements and colonies as part of the great migrations of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stidfole
Among Census respondents with the surname Stidfole, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stidfole 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 Stidfole surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stidfole
Stidfole 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,608 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+10 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 5,608 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 9,549 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 Stidfole 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 | #156,044 | #146,495 | 6.1% |
| Count | 104 | 114 | 9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stidfole bearers went from 104 to 114 (+9.6% change). The surname moved up 9,549 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #146,495.
FAQ
Stidfole surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stidfole?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Stidfole. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Stidfole?
Stidfole ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Stidfole. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Stidfole.
Has Stidfole become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stidfole went from 104 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 10 (+9.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Stidfole?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stidfole, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) 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 Stidfole in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stidfole appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (2.6%), 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 Stidfole (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 Stidfole mean?
A surname for a stubborn or inflexible person. 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 Stidfole (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 surname Stidfole?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.