2000
#10,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Stirling
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Stirling in central Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,205 Americans carry the last name Stirling. That puts it at #10,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,944 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stirling 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 Stirling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,944
Census rank
#10,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,795 bearers of the surname Stirling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stirling, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stirling
Among Census respondents with the surname Stirling, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Stirling 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 Stirling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 2,501
- Two or more races3.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 88
- Black or African American2.5% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stirling
Stirling 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
#11,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,836
+145 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 289 places
2020
#10,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,795
-41 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 270 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,869 | 2,691 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,158 | 2,836 | 0.96 | +145 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 289 places |
| 2020 | #10,888 | 2,795 | 0.94 | -41 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 270 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 Stirling 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 | #11,158 | #10,888 | 2.4% |
| Count | 2,836 | 2,795 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.94 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stirling bearers went from 2,836 to 2,795 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 270 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,158 to #10,888.
FAQ
Stirling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stirling?
Name Census estimates that about 3,205 living Americans carry the surname Stirling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,944 residents.
How common is Stirling?
Stirling ranks #10,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,795 people with the surname Stirling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Stirling.
Has Stirling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stirling went from 2,836 recorded bearers to 2,795. That is a decrease of 41 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,158 to #10,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Stirling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stirling, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Stirling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (2,501 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stirling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Stirling (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 Stirling mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Stirling in central Scotland. 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 Stirling (0.94 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 Americans have the surname Stirling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.