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

Stirling, 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 Stirling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stirling in America

Stirling is the 11158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stirling surname appeared 2,836 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 Stirling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stirling 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 Stirling

The surname Stirling has its origins in the town of Stirling in central Scotland. The name is derived from the Old English word "Styr", meaning a yearling bullock or young cow, and the suffix "-ling" denoting offspring or descendant. The name likely referred to someone who was a cattle farmer or herdsman in the area near Stirling.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Stirling dates back to the 12th century in Scotland. The name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and gentry who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the Stirling family held a position of some prominence in medieval Scottish society.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Stirling played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was a supporter of Robert the Bruce and fought alongside the Scottish forces at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

The Stirling surname is also closely associated with the town of Stirling itself, which was a strategically important location due to its castle and bridge over the River Forth. The town's name is recorded in various spellings in old records, such as "Strivelyn" and "Stryvelyne".

In the 16th century, Sir William Stirling of Keir (c. 1520-1570) was a prominent Scottish landowner and courtier during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was knighted for his service to the crown and played a role in the political turmoil of that era.

Another notable figure was James Stirling (1692-1770), a Scottish mathematician and author. He made contributions to the fields of algebra and calculus, and his work influenced the development of modern mathematical notation.

Sir Walter Stirling (1880-1958) was a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Antarctic region in the early 20th century. He was knighted for his achievements in polar exploration and scientific research.

The surname Stirling has also been associated with several notable architects, including James Stirling (1926-1992), a British architect known for his innovative and postmodern designs, such as the Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart, Germany.

Overall, the surname Stirling has a rich history that spans centuries and is deeply rooted in the Scottish tradition, with connections to notable figures in various fields, from military and politics to science and architecture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stirling

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

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

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

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