2000
#4,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.97
Rare Last name
Stinnett
A habitational surname derived from places in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a stony gate or path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,977 Americans carry the last name Stinnett. That puts it at #4,384 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,181 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stinnett 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
9.0K
1 in 38,181
Census rank
#4,384
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,828 bearers of the surname Stinnett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4384th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stinnett
The surname Stinnett has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a stony or rocky area. The earliest known spelling variations include Stinett, Stynett, and Stynate, suggesting a connection to Old English words like "stan" (stone) or "stony."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, where a William Stynate is referenced. This medieval legal document suggests the name's presence in the region during that era. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 list a John Stynett, providing further evidence of the name's use in the 14th century.
During the 16th century, the Stinnett surname appeared in various parish records across England. In 1584, the christening of John Stynett was recorded in Patcham, Sussex. Similarly, the marriage of Alice Stinnett and Thomas Colman was documented in Westmeston, Sussex, in 1597. These entries highlight the name's continued presence in the region.
One notable bearer of the Stinnett surname was Thomas Stinnett (1617-1678), an English clergyman and theological writer. He served as the Rector of Aldbourne in Wiltshire and authored several works, including "The Doctrine of the Trinity" and "A Discourse on the Grounds of the Christian Religion."
Another prominent individual with this surname was William Stinnett (1779-1854), an American Baptist minister and educator. He was born in Virginia and later became the president of Georgetown College in Kentucky. Stinnett played a significant role in the establishment of Baptist educational institutions in the United States.
In the 19th century, the Stinnett family had a notable presence in Tennessee. John Stinnett (1815-1901) was a farmer and landowner from Hawkins County, Tennessee. His son, Samuel Houston Stinnett (1844-1919), served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives and was involved in local politics.
While the Stinnett surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in the United States. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, with early recordings in various historical documents and parish records across England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stinnett
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Stinnett 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 Stinnett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 6,699
- Black or African American6.1% · 475
- Two or more races4.6% · 361
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 202
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stinnett
Stinnett 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
#4,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,142
+135 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.76
Rank movement Down 270 places
2020
#4,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,828
-314 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,093 | 8,007 | 2.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,363 | 8,142 | 2.76 | +135 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 270 places |
| 2020 | #4,384 | 7,828 | 2.62 | -314 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 21 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 Stinnett 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 | #4,363 | #4,384 | -0.5% |
| Count | 8,142 | 7,828 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.76 | 2.62 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stinnett bearers went from 8,142 to 7,828 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,363 to #4,384.
FAQ
Stinnett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stinnett?
Name Census estimates that about 8,977 living Americans carry the surname Stinnett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,181 residents.
How common is Stinnett?
Stinnett ranks #4,384 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,828 people with the surname Stinnett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Stinnett.
Has Stinnett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stinnett went from 8,142 recorded bearers to 7,828. That is a decrease of 314 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,363 to #4,384.
What does the Census say about the background of Stinnett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stinnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Stinnett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (6,699 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stinnett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Stinnett (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 Stinnett mean?
A habitational surname derived from places in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a stony gate or path. 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 Stinnett (2.62 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 common is the surname Stinnett?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Stinnett at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.