2000
#8,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,522
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Stonge
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a strong person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,080 Americans carry the last name Stonge. That puts it at #8,838 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,008 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stonge 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
4.1K
1 in 84,008
Census rank
#8,838
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,558 bearers of the surname Stonge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8838th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stonge, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stonge
The surname STONGE has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "stong" or "stang," meaning a pole, stake, or wooden post.
During the Middle Ages, the name STONGE was prevalent in the county of Yorkshire, particularly in the areas around Kirkstall and Leeds. It was often associated with individuals who lived near or worked with wooden poles or stakes, such as farmers, woodsmen, or those involved in the construction of fences or boundary markers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name STONGE can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Yorkshire, dated 1202. These legal documents mention a man named Radulfus de Stonge, who was involved in a land transaction.
In the 13th century, the STONGE surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, which were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer. These rolls mention a Thomas de Stonge, who paid taxes in the year 1272.
Notable individuals with the STONGE surname include Sir William Stonge (c. 1330-1391), a prominent knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Stonge fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later appointed as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire.
Another notable figure was John Stonge (c. 1420-1478), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the village of Stonge near Ripon, Yorkshire. He is mentioned in the Chancery Proceedings from the reign of King Edward IV, where he was involved in a dispute over property rights.
In the 16th century, the STONGE surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. These records include baptisms, marriages, and burials of individuals with the name, such as Robert Stonge (born 1543) and Margaret Stonge (died 1598).
The STONGE name also has connections to place names in Yorkshire, such as Stonge Green and Stonge Hill, which are believed to have derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in those areas.
Throughout its history, the STONGE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Stonge, Stange, Stong, and Stange, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stonge
Among Census respondents with the surname Stonge, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stonge 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 Stonge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,204
- Two or more races4.4% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 37
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stonge
Stonge 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
#9,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,625
+103 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 419 places
2020
#8,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,558
-67 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,601 | 3,522 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,020 | 3,625 | 1.23 | +103 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 419 places |
| 2020 | #8,838 | 3,558 | 1.19 | -67 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 182 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 Stonge 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 | #9,020 | #8,838 | 2.0% |
| Count | 3,625 | 3,558 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.19 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stonge bearers went from 3,625 to 3,558 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 182 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,020 to #8,838.
FAQ
Stonge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stonge?
Name Census estimates that about 4,080 living Americans carry the surname Stonge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,008 residents.
How common is Stonge?
Stonge ranks #8,838 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,558 people with the surname Stonge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Stonge.
Has Stonge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stonge went from 3,625 recorded bearers to 3,558. That is a decrease of 67 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,020 to #8,838.
What does the Census say about the background of Stonge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stonge, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) 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 Stonge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,204 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stonge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%), 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 Stonge (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 Stonge mean?
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a strong person. 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 Stonge (1.19 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 share the surname Stonge?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.