Find out how popular the last name Stiffarm is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Stiffarm.

Stiffarm, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Stiffarm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stiffarm in America

Stiffarm is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stiffarm surname appeared 239 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Stiffarm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stiffarm to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Stiffarm

The surname Stiffarm originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from an occupational nickname for someone with a rigid or unbending arm. It is believed to have emerged from the Old English words "stiff" meaning rigid or unbending, and "earm" meaning arm.

The earliest known record of the name Stiffarm can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes Styffarm is mentioned as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already established in northern England by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Stiffarm surname appeared in various parish records across Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Notable examples include Thomas Stiffarm, born in 1534 in Grimsby, and William Stiffarm, baptized in 1572 in Doncaster.

The Stiffarm name is also linked to several place names in England, such as Stiffarm Farm in Leicestershire and Stiffarm Hill in Derbyshire, which may have been named after early bearers of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded Stiffarms was Sir John Stiffarm (1489-1555), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Norfolk. He served as a justice of the peace and was known for his unwavering stance on local matters.

Another notable Stiffarm was Elizabeth Stiffarm (1621-1692), a Puritan writer and poet from Lincolnshire. Her collection of religious verse, "The Unbending Arm of Faith," was published in 1678 and gained popularity among Puritan communities in New England.

In the 18th century, the Stiffarm name spread to other parts of England, with records showing families in Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Stiffarm (1738-1811), a successful merchant and shipowner from Bristol.

During the 19th century, several Stiffarms made their mark in various fields. Robert Stiffarm (1802-1879) was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, while James Stiffarm (1827-1901) was a pioneering geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils.

The Stiffarm surname also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration, with records showing families settling in Australia, Canada, and the United States by the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stiffarm

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Stiffarm.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stiffarm was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Stiffarm has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Stiffarm was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stiffarm, please contact us.

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