2000
#45,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Stram
An occupational surname meaning a straw worker or thatcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 493 Americans carry the last name Stram. That puts it at #52,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 695,242 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stram 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
493
1 in 695,242
Census rank
#52,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
430
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 430 bearers of the surname Stram in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stram, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stram
The surname STRAM has its origins in the Low German language, spoken in Northern Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old Saxon word "stram," meaning "rigid" or "stiff," potentially referring to a person's physical build or demeanor.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the archbishopric of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Lower Saxony and Friesland during this period.
In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Stramme" and "Strammen," can be found in records from the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, suggesting that the name may have been associated with trade and commerce during the heyday of the Hanseatic League.
One notable bearer of the surname was Johann Stram, a German merchant and alderman in the city of Hamburg, who lived from 1520 to 1592. His family's wealth and influence were documented in the city's archives, indicating their prominent status in the local community.
Moving into the 17th century, the name Stram appears in records from the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Straam" or "Straamke." During this time, a man named Pieter Stram (1614-1678) gained recognition as a skilled painter and engraver, known for his landscapes and seascapes.
In the 19th century, the name Stram was carried across the Atlantic by German and Dutch immigrants to the United States. One notable figure was Friedrich Stram (1821-1896), a German-born American farmer and businessman who settled in Wisconsin and was instrumental in the development of the local dairy industry.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname was Anna Stram (1858-1934), a Swedish-American author and educator who advocated for women's rights and founded several schools in the state of Minnesota.
While the surname STRAM is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped its origins and evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stram
Among Census respondents with the surname Stram, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stram 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 Stram surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 401
- Two or more races3.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stram
Stram 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
#49,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 427
-11 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,359 places
2020
#52,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
+3 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,893 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,909 | 438 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,268 | 427 | 0.14 | -11 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 3,359 places |
| 2020 | #52,161 | 430 | 0.14 | +3 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 2,893 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 Stram 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 | #49,268 | #52,161 | -5.9% |
| Count | 427 | 430 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stram bearers went from 427 to 430 (+0.7% change). The surname moved down 2,893 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,268 to #52,161.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stram
FAQ
Stram surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stram?
Name Census estimates that about 493 living Americans carry the surname Stram. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 695,242 residents.
How common is Stram?
Stram ranks #52,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 430 people with the surname Stram. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Stram.
Has Stram become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stram went from 427 recorded bearers to 430. That is an increase of 3 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,268 to #52,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Stram?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stram, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Stram in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stram appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Stram (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 Stram mean?
An occupational surname meaning a straw worker or thatcher. 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 Stram (0.14 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 Stram?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Stram is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.