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

Stillwell, 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 Stillwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stillwell in America

Stillwell is the 4883rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stillwell surname appeared 7,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Stillwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stillwell 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 Stillwell

The surname Stillwell originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "stille" meaning quiet or calm, and "well" referring to a water source, likely indicating that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a peaceful or tranquil well or spring.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273 as "William atte Stillewelle." This early spelling suggests the name may have been topographic in origin, describing someone who lived near a "still well."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Styluuelle" and "Stillewelle" in records from Essex and Suffolk. The Stillwell surname was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, indicating its presence in southern England during this time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Stillwell surname was John Stillwell, a member of the Drapers' Company in London, who was born around 1480. Another early record is that of Richard Stillwell, a merchant from Bristol, who was mentioned in a court case in 1555.

During the 17th century, the Stillwell family established itself in the American colonies. George Stillwell, born in 1602 in Somerset, England, immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635 and became one of the founders of the town of Ipswich. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.

Another notable figure was Samuel Stillwell, born in 1702 in New Jersey, who served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.

In the 19th century, Benjamin Stillwell, born in 1803 in New York, was a prominent businessman and landowner in Ohio. He was involved in the development of the Miami and Erie Canal and served as a state senator.

The Stillwell name has also been associated with various localities, such as Stillwell, Oklahoma, which was named after a local settler, and Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, named after Reverend Silas M. Stillwell, a 19th-century Methodist minister.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stillwell

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

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

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

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