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

Stilen, 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 Stilen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stilen in America

Stilen is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stilen surname appeared 176 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 Stilen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stilen 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 Stilen

The surname STILEN is believed to have originated in the region of Westphalia, Germany, dating back to the early 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "stielen," which means "to stalk or stealthily approach." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone known for their hunting or tracking abilities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the STILEN name can be found in the town records of Münster, Westphalia, from the year 1523, where a certain Hans Stilen is mentioned as a local landowner. Another notable early reference is in the ecclesiastical records of the parish of Beckum, near Münster, where a Johannes Stilen is listed as a clergyman in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the STILEN name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in regions such as Saxony and Bavaria. One notable figure from this era was Friedrich Stilen (1622-1690), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Leipzig, who authored several influential works on Germanic law.

As the name continued to disperse throughout the German-speaking lands, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Stielen, Stylen, and Styhlen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.

In the 18th century, the STILEN name made its way to other parts of Europe, with records showing individuals bearing the name in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. One prominent figure from this period was the Dutch painter Pieter Stilen (1705-1778), known for his intricate still-life compositions.

The 19th century saw the STILEN name spread even further, with individuals bearing the name found in various parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable figure from this era was the German-American explorer and naturalist Ernst Stilen (1831-1902), who led several expeditions to the American West and authored several books on the region's flora and fauna.

Other notable individuals with the STILEN surname throughout history include the German composer and conductor Max Stilen (1857-1924), the British mathematician and logician Alfred Stilen (1879-1954), and the American novelist and screenwriter Dorothy Stilen (1905-1988).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stilen

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

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 Stilen 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 Stilen 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 Stilen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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