2000
#38,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 542
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Stitz
A locational German surname derived from a place name based on the German word "Stitz" meaning spire or steeple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 635 Americans carry the last name Stitz. That puts it at #42,180 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 539,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stitz 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
635
1 in 539,771
Census rank
#42,180
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
554
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 554 bearers of the surname Stitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42180th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stitz
The surname STITZ is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the German word "Stitz," which means "spike" or "pointed object." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as an occupational surname for someone who worked with spikes or pointed tools, such as a blacksmith or a carpenter.
The earliest known records of the surname STITZ can be traced back to the 14th century in various German-language regions, including modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is possible that the name was initially spelled in different ways, such as "Stitz," "Stitze," or "Stitze," before settling on the current spelling.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname STITZ was Johannes Stitz, a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 15th century. His name appears in several trade records and business transactions from that period.
Another notable figure with the surname STITZ was Hans Stitz, a German Protestant reformer who lived during the 16th century. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
In the 17th century, the surname STITZ can be found in various German-language regions, including the region of Saxony. One example is Johann Stitz, a Lutheran pastor who served in the town of Freiberg, Saxony, in the mid-17th century.
During the 18th century, the surname STITZ spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and the Baltic regions. One notable individual from this time was Christoph Friedrich Stitz, a German-born painter and engraver who lived in the Netherlands from 1760 to 1796.
In the 19th century, the surname STITZ began to appear in North America, as German immigrants brought the name with them to the United States and Canada. One example is Johann Stitz, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 19th century and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
While the surname STITZ is most commonly associated with German-speaking regions, it has also been documented in other parts of Europe and beyond. However, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the occupational or descriptive meaning of the word "Stitz."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stitz 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 Stitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 509
- Two or more races3.6% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stitz
Stitz 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
#49,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 421
-121 bearers (-22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 11,429 places
2020
#42,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 554
+133 bearers (+31.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 7,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38,395 | 542 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,824 | 421 | 0.14 | -121 bearers (-22.3%) | Down 11,429 places |
| 2020 | #42,180 | 554 | 0.19 | +133 bearers (+31.6%) | Up 7,644 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 Stitz 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 | #49,824 | #42,180 | 15.3% |
| Count | 421 | 554 | 31.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.19 | 32.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stitz bearers went from 421 to 554 (+31.6% change). The surname moved up 7,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,824 to #42,180.
FAQ
Stitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stitz?
Name Census estimates that about 635 living Americans carry the surname Stitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 539,771 residents.
How common is Stitz?
Stitz ranks #42,180 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 554 people with the surname Stitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (635), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Stitz.
Has Stitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stitz went from 421 recorded bearers to 554. That is an increase of 133 (+31.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #49,824 to #42,180.
What does the Census say about the background of Stitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Stitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Stitz (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 Stitz mean?
A locational German surname derived from a place name based on the German word "Stitz" meaning spire or steeple. 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 Stitz (0.19 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 Stitz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.