Stiles
A topographic surname for someone who lived by a stile, a series of steps allowing passage over a fence.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,815 Americans carry the last name Stiles. That puts it at #1,689 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,812 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stiles surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
25K
1 in 13,812
Census rank
#1,689
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,357 bearers of the surname Stiles in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1689th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stiles
The surname Stiles is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stigol," which means a "stile" or a set of steps allowing passage over a fence or wall. The name likely originated in the Middle Ages and was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a stile, or possibly worked as a stile-maker.
The earliest known recorded spelling of the name Stiles is found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where it appears as "Godrich de la Stile." This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century.
In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with names derived from the Old English word "stigol," such as Stile in Cambridgeshire and Stile in Norfolk. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname Stiles in those areas.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Stiles was Sir John Stiles, a prominent English judge and legal writer who lived from 1505 to 1592. He served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and authored several legal treatises.
Another notable figure with the surname Stiles was Ezra Stiles (1727-1795), an American academic and theologian who served as the president of Yale College from 1778 until his death. He was a prominent figure in the American Enlightenment and a strong supporter of the American Revolution.
In the 17th century, the name Stiles was also found in the New World, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in colonial Massachusetts and Connecticut. One such individual was Robert Stiles (1612-1676), an early settler in Windsor, Connecticut, and a prominent landowner and militiaman.
Other notable figures with the surname Stiles include William Stiles (1689-1769), an English botanist and author of "The Professed Cook," one of the earliest printed cookbooks in English, and Sir John Stiles (1633-1704), an English baronet and member of Parliament.
Throughout its history, the surname Stiles has been found in various spellings, including Stile, Styl, Styll, and Stylle, reflecting the phonetic variations and regional dialects of different areas in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stiles
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stiles bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Stiles surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8%
- Black or African American3.7%
- Hispanic or Latino2.4%
- Two or more races1.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Stiles surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,689 | #1,689 | 0.0% |
| Count | 21,357 | 21,357 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.24 | 7.24 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Stiles bearers went from 21,357 to 21,357 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #1,689 to #1,689.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stiles
FAQ
Stiles surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Stiles?
The surname Stiles holds position #1,689 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 24,815 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 7.24 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Stiles surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.