2000
#11,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Stimson
Derived from the Old English given name "Stigmond," composed of the elements "stig" (steep) and "mund" (protection).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,797 Americans carry the last name Stimson. That puts it at #12,190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stimson 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 Stimson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,544
Census rank
#12,190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,439 bearers of the surname Stimson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stimson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stimson
The surname STIMSON originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded spellings is "Stivenson," found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "stifen" or "stiven," meaning "stiff" or "strong," combined with the suffix "-son," denoting "son of."
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Stevenson" and "Styvenson," in records from counties like Yorkshire and Northumberland. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and scribal errors common in that era.
In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, a certain "Alexander Stevene" is mentioned, suggesting the name's presence in the area. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 include the entry "William Stevene."
The surname STIMSON is considered a locational name, possibly originating from a now-lost place name or a person who hailed from a specific location. However, no definitive records have been found linking the name to a specific place.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname STIMSON was John Stimson, born around 1580 in Ipswich, Suffolk. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.
Another notable figure was Sir Samuel Stimson (1619-1689), a British politician and member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of King Charles II.
In the 18th century, Joseph Stimson (1718-1782) was a renowned clockmaker from Hertfordshire, known for his intricate timepieces adorned with enamel paintings.
The 19th century saw the birth of Henry Stimson (1832-1901), a prominent banker and philanthropist from New York City, who founded the Stimson Memorial Library in his hometown.
More recently, Henry L. Stimson (1867-1950) was an influential statesman who served as the United States Secretary of War under President William Howard Taft and later as the Secretary of State under President Herbert Hoover.
While the surname STIMSON has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stimson
Among Census respondents with the surname Stimson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stimson 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 Stimson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 2,175
- Two or more races5.0% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.7% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stimson
Stimson 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
#12,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,552
+123 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 394 places
2020
#12,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,439
-113 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,810 | 2,429 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,204 | 2,552 | 0.87 | +123 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 394 places |
| 2020 | #12,190 | 2,439 | 0.82 | -113 bearers (-4.4%) | Up 14 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 Stimson 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 | #12,204 | #12,190 | 0.1% |
| Count | 2,552 | 2,439 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.82 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stimson bearers went from 2,552 to 2,439 (-4.4% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,204 to #12,190.
FAQ
Stimson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stimson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,797 living Americans carry the surname Stimson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,544 residents.
How common is Stimson?
Stimson ranks #12,190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,439 people with the surname Stimson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,797), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Stimson.
Has Stimson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stimson went from 2,552 recorded bearers to 2,439. That is a decrease of 113 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,204 to #12,190.
What does the Census say about the background of Stimson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stimson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) 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 Stimson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (2,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stimson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (5.0%), 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 Stimson (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 Stimson mean?
Derived from the Old English given name "Stigmond," composed of the elements "stig" (steep) and "mund" (protection). 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 Stimson (0.82 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 are called Stimson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Stimson at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.