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

Stimpson, 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 Stimpson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stimpson in America

Stimpson is the 11092nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stimpson surname appeared 2,862 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Stimpson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stimpson 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 Stimpson

The surname Stimpson 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 or a landmark feature. One theory suggests that the name is derived from the Old English word "stimp," meaning a stump or a tree trunk, combined with the suffix "-son," which denotes "son of." This would indicate that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent stump or tree trunk.

Another possible origin of the name is that it could be a variation of the surname "Stevenson," which has a similar pronunciation. Stevenson is a well-known surname that originated in Scotland and is derived from the given name "Steven" or "Stevin," meaning "crown" or "garland."

Historical records indicate that the Stimpson surname appears in various medieval documents and records, although specific references are scarce. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1221, where a person named William Stimpson is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a John Stimpson is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the Stimpson family had established themselves in the region by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Stimpson include:

1. William Stimpson (1832-1872), an American naturalist and zoologist known for his contributions to the study of marine invertebrates.
2. Henry Adolphus Stimpson (1837-1892), an English Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of Huron in Canada.
3. Katharine Stimpson (born 1936), an American feminist scholar and academic who has written extensively on women's studies and gender issues.
4. Edwin Stimpson (1888-1971), an American actor and theater director who had a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood films.
5. Reverend John Stimpson (1820-1891), an English clergyman and author who wrote several books on religious subjects.

While the Stimpson surname is not among the most common surnames, it has a long history and can be traced back to various parts of England, particularly in the regions of Gloucestershire and Cambridgeshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stimpson

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

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

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

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