2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stofa
A Danish surname derived from an occupational term referring to a stove maker or chimney sweep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Stofa. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stofa 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Stofa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stofa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stofa
The surname "STOFA" is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Czech word "stof," which means "hundred" or "pile." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with large quantities of goods or materials, perhaps as a merchant or trader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "STOFA" can be found in a tax record from the town of Litomerice, located in the northern region of Bohemia, dated 1587. This document lists a "Jan Stofa" as a resident of the town.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of the Czech lands, with records showing individuals named "STOFA" living in villages and towns across Moravia and Silesia. One notable example is Vaclav Stofa, a blacksmith born in the village of Lipnik in 1624.
The 18th century saw the emergence of the "STOFA" name in central Europe, with records indicating families bearing this surname in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. A prominent figure from this period was Johann Stofa (1698-1772), a German composer and organist who served in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.
By the 19th century, the "STOFA" name had spread to other parts of Europe, including Poland and Russia. One notable individual from this time was Stanislaw Stofa (1805-1876), a Polish economist and professor at the University of Warsaw.
Another significant figure bearing the "STOFA" surname was Otto Stofa (1871-1942), an Austrian architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the development of the city of Vienna in the early 20th century.
While the origins of the name "STOFA" can be traced back to the Czech Republic, it has since become more widely distributed across various countries and regions, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped Europe over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stofa
Among Census respondents with the surname Stofa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stofa 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 Stofa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stofa
Stofa 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,352 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,352 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,162 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 Stofa 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 | #142,108 | #144,270 | -1.5% |
| Count | 117 | 117 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stofa bearers went from 117 to 117 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #144,270.
FAQ
Stofa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stofa?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Stofa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Stofa?
Stofa ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Stofa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Stofa.
Has Stofa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stofa went from 117 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Stofa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stofa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Stofa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stofa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Stofa (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 Stofa mean?
A Danish surname derived from an occupational term referring to a stove maker or chimney sweep. 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 Stofa (0.04 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 last name Stofa?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Stofa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.