Find out how popular the last name Stovall is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Stovall.

Stovall, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Stovall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stovall in America

Stovall is the 2155th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stovall surname appeared 16,827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Stovall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stovall to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Stovall

The surname Stovall has its origins in England, believed to have originated during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Staveley or Stavely, which are towns found in Derbyshire and Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). The name is likely derived from the Old English words "stæf" meaning staff or stave, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Staueleie" and "Stavelie." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert de Staveley, a knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence under King Edward I. He was granted lands in Derbyshire for his service.

Another early record of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230, where a Richard de Staveleye is mentioned.

The name continued to evolve in spelling over the centuries, with variations such as Staveley, Staveley, Stavely, Staveley, and eventually Stovall becoming more common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Stovall spelling can be found in the records of the Diocesan Registry of Ely in Cambridgeshire, where a Thomas Stovall is listed in 1568.

A notable bearer of the Stovall name was Sir John Stovall (c. 1530-1590), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Staffordshire.

In the 17th century, a Nicholas Stovall (1615-1680) immigrated to Virginia from England and became a prominent landowner and planter.

Another significant figure with the Stovall surname was William Stovall (1772-1844), an American pioneer and soldier who served in the War of 1812.

The name continued to spread throughout England and later to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as people bearing the surname emigrated and settled in new lands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stovall

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Stovall.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stovall was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Stovall has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Stovall was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stovall, please contact us.

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