2000
#9,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,271
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Stolz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "proud," derived from the German word stolz, meaning "proud" or "stately."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,567 Americans carry the last name Stolz. That puts it at #9,900 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,090 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stolz 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
3.6K
1 in 96,090
Census rank
#9,900
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,111 bearers of the surname Stolz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9900th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stolz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stolz
The surname Stolz has its origins in the German language. It is derived from the German word "stolz", which means "proud" or "haughty". The name can be traced back to medieval times, when it was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited a proud or arrogant demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Stolz can be found in various medieval records and documents from German-speaking regions. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae", a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Stolz appeared in the "Bürgeraufnahmen der Stadt Köln" (Citizen Admissions of the City of Cologne), which recorded the names of individuals who were granted citizenship in the city of Cologne. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Stolz. One of the earliest was Johann Stolz, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1575). Another prominent figure was Johann Christoph Stolz, a German architect and master builder active in the 18th century (1704-1783), who was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city of Augsburg.
In the field of literature, Friedrich Stolz (1809-1876) was a German poet and writer who is best known for his narrative poem "Der Leichnam" (The Corpse). Additionally, Alban Stolz (1808-1883) was a German Catholic priest, writer, and educator who made significant contributions to the field of catechetics.
Another notable individual with the surname Stolz was Josef Stolz (1804-1859), an Austrian painter and engraver who specialized in landscapes and architectural scenes. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.
The surname Stolz has also been present in various regions outside of Germany, as a result of migration and cultural exchange. For instance, there are records of individuals with the surname Stolz in Switzerland, Austria, and other German-speaking areas, as well as in countries with significant German-speaking populations, such as the United States and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stolz
Among Census respondents with the surname Stolz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stolz 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 Stolz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,869
- Two or more races3.2% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 33
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stolz
Stolz 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
#9,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,248
-23 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 764 places
2020
#9,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,111
-137 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,168 | 3,271 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,932 | 3,248 | 1.10 | -23 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 764 places |
| 2020 | #9,900 | 3,111 | 1.04 | -137 bearers (-4.2%) | Up 32 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 Stolz 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 | #9,932 | #9,900 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,248 | 3,111 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.04 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stolz bearers went from 3,248 to 3,111 (-4.2% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,932 to #9,900.
FAQ
Stolz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stolz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,567 living Americans carry the surname Stolz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,090 residents.
How common is Stolz?
Stolz ranks #9,900 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,111 people with the surname Stolz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,567), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Stolz.
Has Stolz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stolz went from 3,248 recorded bearers to 3,111. That is a decrease of 137 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,932 to #9,900.
What does the Census say about the background of Stolz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stolz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Stolz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stolz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Stolz (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 Stolz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "proud," derived from the German word stolz, meaning "proud" or "stately." 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 Stolz (1.04 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 surname Stolz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.