2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stinehelfer
A Germanic occupational surname referring to a person who assisted with livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Stinehelfer. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stinehelfer 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Stinehelfer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinehelfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stinehelfer
The surname Stinehelfer is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, deriving from the compound words "Stein" meaning "stone" and "helfer" meaning "helper" or "assistant". This suggests that the original bearers of this name may have been involved in occupations related to masonry or stone quarrying.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Stinehelfer name can be found in the church records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to 1492. The entry refers to a certain "Hans Stinehelfer", who was listed as a stonemason residing in the area.
In the 16th century, the Stinehelfer name began to spread across various regions of Germany, with several families bearing this surname settling in towns and villages throughout Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Notable individuals from this era include Johann Stinehelfer (1532-1598), a respected master builder who oversaw the construction of several churches and civic buildings in the city of Nuremberg.
As the centuries progressed, the Stinehelfer name continued to be associated with various skilled trades, particularly those involving stonework and construction. In the 18th century, records from the town of Bamberg mention a family of Stinehelfers who were renowned for their expertise in quarrying and carving intricate stonework for local churches and monuments.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the Stinehelfer name was Friedrich Stinehelfer (1776-1847), a renowned architect and civil engineer who gained recognition for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of urban planning. His work included the construction of several iconic bridges and public buildings throughout Germany.
Another notable individual was Heinrich Stinehelfer (1812-1876), a renowned sculptor and artist whose intricate stone carvings and sculptures adorned many churches and public spaces throughout Bavaria and neighboring regions.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Stinehelfer surname continued to be well-represented in various trades and professions, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in fields such as masonry, architecture, engineering, and even academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stinehelfer
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinehelfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stinehelfer 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 Stinehelfer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stinehelfer
Stinehelfer 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,590 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,590 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Stinehelfer 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stinehelfer bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Stinehelfer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stinehelfer?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Stinehelfer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Stinehelfer?
Stinehelfer ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Stinehelfer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Stinehelfer.
Has Stinehelfer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stinehelfer went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Stinehelfer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinehelfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) 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 Stinehelfer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stinehelfer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), 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 Stinehelfer (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 Stinehelfer mean?
A Germanic occupational surname referring to a person who assisted with livestock. 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 Stinehelfer (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 Stinehelfer?
If you just want to know how many people are called Stinehelfer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.