2000
#2,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.30
Uncommon Last name
Stoll
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of wooden casks and barrels, derived from the German word "Stolle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,555 Americans carry the last name Stoll. That puts it at #2,976 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stoll 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 Stoll with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,286
Census rank
#2,976
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,821 bearers of the surname Stoll in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2976th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stoll
The surname Stoll finds its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "stol," which means "stool" or "bench." This name was likely given to someone who crafted or sold stools or benches, or perhaps lived near a notable stool or bench.
In the Middle Ages, surnames often arose from occupations, physical traits, or locations. The name Stoll first appeared in records from the Rhineland region of Germany, particularly around the cities of Cologne and Mainz.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stoll is found in the Bavarian town of Nördlingen's tax records from 1304, which mention a "Cunrat der Stol." This suggests the name was already established in southern Germany by the early 14th century.
The Stoll name can also be traced back to the Swiss city of Basel, where a "Hans Stoll" is recorded in a 1436 document. This indicates the name had spread to neighboring regions by the 15th century.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the Stoll surname was Johann Stoll (1515-1581), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther. He was born in Wittenberg and played a role in the Reformation.
Another historical figure with the Stoll name was Karl Stoll (1786-1855), a German architect and builder who designed several landmarks in the city of Worms, including the Andreaskirche and the Rathaus (town hall).
In the 19th century, Johann Baptist Stoll (1832-1906) was a German Catholic priest and writer who authored several theological works and served as a professor at the University of Würzburg.
Moving into the 20th century, Max Stoll (1882-1973) was a Swiss chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry, particularly in the synthesis of dyes and pharmaceuticals.
Finally, Erich Stoll (1914-1997) was a German-born American artist and sculptor, known for his abstract metal sculptures. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Stoll, which has its roots in the German-speaking regions of Europe and likely originated as an occupational name related to stool or bench making.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stoll
Among Census respondents with the surname Stoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Stoll 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 Stoll surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 10,815
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 386
- Two or more races2.8% · 335
- Black or African American1.2% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stoll
Stoll 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
#2,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,032
+444 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#2,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,821
-211 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.95
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,836 | 11,588 | 4.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,979 | 12,032 | 4.08 | +444 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #2,976 | 11,821 | 3.95 | -211 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 3 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 Stoll 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 | #2,979 | #2,976 | 0.1% |
| Count | 12,032 | 11,821 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.08 | 3.95 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stoll bearers went from 12,032 to 11,821 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,979 to #2,976.
FAQ
Stoll surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stoll?
Name Census estimates that about 13,555 living Americans carry the surname Stoll. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,286 residents.
How common is Stoll?
Stoll ranks #2,976 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,821 people with the surname Stoll. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,555), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Stoll.
Has Stoll become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stoll went from 12,032 recorded bearers to 11,821. That is a decrease of 211 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,979 to #2,976.
What does the Census say about the background of Stoll?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Stoll in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (10,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stoll appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Stoll (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 Stoll mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of wooden casks and barrels, derived from the German word "Stolle". 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 Stoll (3.95 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 share the surname Stoll?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.