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

Stith, 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 Stith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stith in America

Stith is the 6396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stith surname appeared 5,319 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Stith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stith 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 Stith

The surname Stith is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "stith," which means "anvil" or "forge." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname used to identify someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalsmith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stith can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Stith" and "Stithe," indicating its longstanding presence in the country.

The name Stith has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Stith (1608-1648), an early colonial settler in Virginia who served as a member of the House of Burgesses, the legislative body of the Virginia Colony. Another prominent figure was William Stith (1689-1755), a historian and president of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In England, the name was particularly prevalent in certain regions, such as Norfolk and Suffolk, where surnames with occupational origins were common. The village of Stiffkey in Norfolk may have derived its name from a variation of the surname Stith, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Stith include Sarah Stith (1747-1820), an American poet and playwright, and James Hogue Stith (1840-1910), a Confederate soldier and lawyer from Virginia. Additionally, Whitten Stith (1824-1905) was a prominent banker and businessman from Mississippi.

While the surname Stith has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and other English-speaking countries, as a result of migration and settlement patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational and linguistic traditions of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stith

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

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

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

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