2000
#5,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,972
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Stilwell
A locational surname denoting someone who lived by a peaceful stream or well.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,742 Americans carry the last name Stilwell. That puts it at #5,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stilwell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stilwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 50,839
Census rank
#5,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,879 bearers of the surname Stilwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stilwell
The surname Stilwell has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "stilla" meaning "quiet" or "still" and "well" referring to a source of water, suggesting a connection to a peaceful body of water or a tranquil dwelling near a well.
In early records, the name appeared with various spellings such as Stillewell, Stylwell, and Stilewell, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Thomas de Stillewell is mentioned.
The Stilwell name is believed to have originated in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk in eastern England, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found. It is also associated with place names like Stilwell in Norfolk, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.
One notable bearer of the Stilwell name was Silas M. Stilwell, an American military officer who served in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He was born in 1819 and played a significant role in the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.
Another prominent figure was John Stilwell, a 17th-century English composer and organist who lived from around 1625 to 1675. He served as the organist at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford and contributed to the development of English church music during his lifetime.
In the realm of literature, Myra H. Stilwell (1868-1935) was an American novelist and short story writer known for her works set in the American West, including "The Calico Cat" and "The Guardians of the Trail."
Sir John Stilwell (1887-1975) was a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was knighted for his military service. He played a crucial role in the Burma Campaign during World War II and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Lastly, Winthrop Stilwell (1921-2007) was an American artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract metal sculptures. He was born in Massachusetts and had works exhibited in several prominent museums and galleries throughout his career.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Stilwell throughout history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stilwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stilwell 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 Stilwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 5,335
- Two or more races3.6% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 200
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 40
- Black or African American0.5% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stilwell
Stilwell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,138
+166 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 290 places
2020
#5,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,879
-259 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,365 | 5,972 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,655 | 6,138 | 2.08 | +166 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 290 places |
| 2020 | #5,686 | 5,879 | 1.97 | -259 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 31 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 Stilwell 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 | #5,655 | #5,686 | -0.5% |
| Count | 6,138 | 5,879 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.08 | 1.97 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stilwell bearers went from 6,138 to 5,879 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,655 to #5,686.
FAQ
Stilwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stilwell?
Name Census estimates that about 6,742 living Americans carry the surname Stilwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,839 residents.
How common is Stilwell?
Stilwell ranks #5,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,879 people with the surname Stilwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Stilwell.
Has Stilwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stilwell went from 6,138 recorded bearers to 5,879. That is a decrease of 259 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,655 to #5,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Stilwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stilwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stilwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (5,335 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stilwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Stilwell (2000, 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 Stilwell mean?
A locational surname denoting someone who lived by a peaceful stream or well. 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 Stilwell (1.97 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 share the surname Stilwell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.