2000
#11,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,452
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Stiner
A German occupational surname referring to a stonemason or a person who works with stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,515 Americans carry the last name Stiner. That puts it at #13,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stiner 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
2.5K
1 in 136,284
Census rank
#13,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,193 bearers of the surname Stiner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stiner
The surname STINER has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the German occupation of "Steiner," meaning someone who worked as a stone mason or lived near a prominent stone structure.
The earliest known record of the name STINER appears in the Berne Ratsmanuale, a Swiss record of council meetings, dating back to 1365. This document mentions a "Johannes Stiner" as a resident of the city of Berne.
In the 15th century, variations of the name such as "Steyner" and "Steynner" can be found in various German and Swiss records, indicating the name's widespread use across the region.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name STINER was Hans Stiner, a Swiss clockmaker born in Basel in 1477. He is credited with creating some of the earliest mechanical clocks in Europe, pioneering the use of the balance spring mechanism.
Another prominent figure was Johann Stiner, a German philosopher and theologian born in Nuremberg in 1530. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and wrote several influential works on religious doctrine.
In the 17th century, the name STINER gained recognition in the arts with the painter Hans Rudolf Stiner (1607-1686), whose works adorned many churches and noble residences throughout Germany and Austria.
The 18th century saw the rise of Johann Adam Stiner (1718-1795), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Duke of Württemberg. His compositions for organ and chamber ensembles were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In more recent history, the name STINER has been associated with notable figures such as Karl Stiner (1891-1945), a German military officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II.
While the name STINER has its roots in Germany and Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the stonemasons and artisans of medieval Europe, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stiner
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stiner 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 Stiner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 1,870
- Black or African American6.6% · 145
- Two or more races3.7% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stiner
Stiner 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
#12,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,416
-36 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 1,060 places
2020
#13,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
-223 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,712 | 2,452 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,772 | 2,416 | 0.82 | -36 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 1,060 places |
| 2020 | #13,309 | 2,193 | 0.73 | -223 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 537 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 Stiner 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 | #12,772 | #13,309 | -4.2% |
| Count | 2,416 | 2,193 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.73 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stiner bearers went from 2,416 to 2,193 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 537 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,772 to #13,309.
FAQ
Stiner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stiner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,515 living Americans carry the surname Stiner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,284 residents.
How common is Stiner?
Stiner ranks #13,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,193 people with the surname Stiner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Stiner.
Has Stiner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stiner went from 2,416 recorded bearers to 2,193. That is a decrease of 223 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,772 to #13,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Stiner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stiner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (1,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stiner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stiner (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 Stiner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a stonemason or a person who works with stone. 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 Stiner (0.73 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 Stiner?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Stiner at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.