2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Stilkey
A locational surname derived from a place name, potentially related to a key-shaped hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Stilkey. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stilkey 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Stilkey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilkey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stilkey
The surname STILKEY is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that incorporated the Old English words "stile" (meaning a flight of steps or a ladder) and "ey" or "ieg" (meaning an island or a piece of higher ground).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Stilegeie." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a raised or elevated area accessible by steps or a ladder. However, the exact location or settlement from which the name originated is uncertain.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Stilkey" and "Stilkeye," indicating that the spelling had begun to evolve. During this period, the name was most prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where various branches of the Stilkey family were established.
Notable individuals bearing the Stilkey surname include:
1. John Stilkey (c. 1580-1644), an English merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who was involved in the wool trade with the Netherlands.
2. Elizabeth Stilkey (c. 1620-1692), a Puritan woman from Lincolnshire, who was one of the earliest settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
3. Richard Stilkey (1745-1825), a British soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Upper Canada (now Ontario).
4. Samuel Stilkey (1810-1878), an English poet and writer from Yorkshire, best known for his collection of pastoral poems titled "The Village Muse."
5. Margaret Stilkey (1875-1962), a British suffragette and activist from Lancashire, who campaigned for women's voting rights in the early 20th century.
While the Stilkey name has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties, where it has its deepest roots. The name's longevity and endurance serve as a testament to its unique origins and the historical significance it holds within English onomastic traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stilkey
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilkey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stilkey 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 Stilkey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 12
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stilkey
Stilkey appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+15 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,684 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 14,684 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 Stilkey 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 | #145,028 | 9.2% |
| Count | 101 | 116 | 14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stilkey bearers went from 101 to 116 (+14.9% change). The surname moved up 14,684 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #145,028.
FAQ
Stilkey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stilkey?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Stilkey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Stilkey?
Stilkey ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Stilkey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Stilkey.
Has Stilkey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stilkey went from 101 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 15 (+14.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Stilkey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilkey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Stilkey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stilkey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Hispanic (10.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Stilkey (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 Stilkey mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, potentially related to a key-shaped hill. 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 Stilkey (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 last name Stilkey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Stilkey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.