2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stiely
An anglicized form of the German surname Stiehler, denoting one who came from a place called Stiel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Stiely. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stiely 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Stiely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiely, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stiely
The surname STIELY is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "stiel," which means "handle" or "stem," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with handles or stems, perhaps a craftsman or a farmer.
Records from the town of Stielig, located in the Rhineland region of Germany, show references to individuals bearing the surname STIELY as early as 1542. It is possible that the name evolved from a place name, as was common during that time period.
One of the earliest known mentions of the STIELY name appears in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Wittlich, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, where an entry from 1583 documents the birth of Johannes STIELY.
In the 17th century, the STIELY surname can be found in various historical documents from the region, including legal records and land registries. For instance, the Prussian Land Register of 1687 mentions a farmer named Hans STIELY, who owned a substantial plot of land in the village of Koblenz.
One notable individual with the STIELY surname was Peter STIELY (1622-1698), a scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His extensive writings on religious philosophy and biblical studies were widely influential during his time.
Another prominent figure bearing the STIELY name was Katharina STIELY (1756-1831), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Trier. Her knowledge of traditional medicine and her dedication to serving the local community earned her widespread respect and recognition.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the STIELY surname began to spread beyond the borders of Germany, as some individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such example is Johann STIELY (1789-1863), who left Germany in the early 19th century and settled in the United States, where he worked as a skilled carpenter and cabinetmaker.
In the annals of history, the STIELY surname has also been associated with notable artists and cultural figures, such as the painter Wilhelm STIELY (1815-1887), whose landscapes and portraits were highly regarded in his native Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stiely
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiely, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Stiely 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 Stiely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stiely
Stiely 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,875 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 23,875 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,122 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 Stiely 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 | #159,712 | #153,590 | 3.8% |
| Count | 101 | 104 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stiely bearers went from 101 to 104 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,122 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #153,590.
FAQ
Stiely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stiely?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Stiely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Stiely?
Stiely ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Stiely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Stiely.
Has Stiely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stiely went from 101 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Stiely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiely, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Stiely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stiely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Stiely (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 Stiely mean?
An anglicized form of the German surname Stiehler, denoting one who came from a place called Stiel. 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 Stiely (0.03 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 Stiely?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.