2000
#5,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,656
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.10
Rare Last name
Stitt
A toponymic surname derived from places in England and Scotland, likely referring to a steep ascent or climbing path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,189 Americans carry the last name Stitt. That puts it at #6,097 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,381 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stitt 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 Stitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,381
Census rank
#6,097
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,397 bearers of the surname Stitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6097th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stitt
The surname Stitt has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stith," meaning strong or firm, and was likely used as a nickname for someone with a sturdy or robust physique.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stitt dates back to 1273, when a William Stith was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This document was a record of landowners and their holdings, indicating that the Stitt family had established themselves in the region by that time.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Stith, Stidd, and Styth, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common in those times. In the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, a Thomas Stith was listed as a taxpayer in the village of Eccleshall.
The surname Stitt has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Stithians in Cornwall, which may have influenced its development. Some records suggest that the name could have originated from the Old English word "stede," meaning a place or locality.
Notable individuals bearing the Stitt surname include:
1. John Stitt (c. 1645 - 1718), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Antrim in the early 18th century.
2. William Stitt (1756 - 1828), an American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later became a merchant and shipbuilder.
3. Samuel Stitt (1822 - 1897), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in the lumber industry.
4. George Stitt (1872 - 1954), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
5. William Stitt (1891 - 1965), an American baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for the Boston Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1910s.
While the surname Stitt has maintained its presence throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to some other English surnames. Nevertheless, it has left its mark in various fields, including politics, military, sports, and business, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stitt 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 Stitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 4,050
- Black or African American16.8% · 905
- Two or more races3.9% · 208
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stitt
Stitt 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
#5,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,946
+290 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Down 185 places
2020
#6,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,397
-549 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,628 | 5,656 | 2.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,813 | 5,946 | 2.02 | +290 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 185 places |
| 2020 | #6,097 | 5,397 | 1.81 | -549 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 284 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 Stitt 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 | #5,813 | #6,097 | -4.9% |
| Count | 5,946 | 5,397 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.02 | 1.81 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stitt bearers went from 5,946 to 5,397 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,813 to #6,097.
FAQ
Stitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stitt?
Name Census estimates that about 6,189 living Americans carry the surname Stitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,381 residents.
How common is Stitt?
Stitt ranks #6,097 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,397 people with the surname Stitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Stitt.
Has Stitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stitt went from 5,946 recorded bearers to 5,397. That is a decrease of 549 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,813 to #6,097.
What does the Census say about the background of Stitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Stitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (4,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (16.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Stitt (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 Stitt mean?
A toponymic surname derived from places in England and Scotland, likely referring to a steep ascent or climbing 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 Stitt (1.81 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 surname Stitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.