2000
#9,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Stribling
An English occupational surname derived from a place meaning "settlement of Stribel's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,614 Americans carry the last name Stribling. That puts it at #9,809 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stribling 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 Stribling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,841
Census rank
#9,809
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,152 bearers of the surname Stribling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9809th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stribling, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stribling
The surname Stribling has its roots in the Old English word "stripling," which referred to a youth or young man. The name likely originated in England during the medieval period, possibly as a nickname for a young person or as a reference to someone's youthful appearance or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Stribling can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, where a William Stribling is mentioned. This record suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Stribling name appeared in several manuscripts and records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire from 1227, which mentions a Thomas Stribling. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 also contain references to individuals with the surname Stribling.
During the 14th century, the name seems to have spread across various regions of England. The Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1315 record a Robert Stribling, while the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332 mention a John Stribling.
It is worth noting that the surname Stribling was sometimes spelled differently in historical records, with variations such as Striplyng, Stryplyn, and Striplyn appearing in various documents from the 14th and 15th centuries.
One notable individual with the surname Stribling was Sir Thomas Stribling, a Scottish military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He served under King Robert the Bruce and played a significant role in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Another historical figure with the Stribling name was Sir William Stribling, an English soldier and politician who lived in the late 15th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and was also involved in military campaigns during the Wars of the Roses.
In the 16th century, the Stribling surname can be found in various records from counties like Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. For instance, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1523 mention a John Stribling, while the Muster Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1539 record a Thomas Stribling.
During the 17th century, the Stribling name appeared in various parish records and legal documents across England. One notable individual from this period was Richard Stribling, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1613 to 1673.
The Stribling surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Stribling's Close in Gloucestershire and Stribling's Field in Oxfordshire, both of which were likely named after individuals with the Stribling surname who owned or resided in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stribling
Among Census respondents with the surname Stribling, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Stribling 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 Stribling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.2% · 1,676
- Black or African American38.5% · 1,214
- Two or more races4.4% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stribling
Stribling 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
#9,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,267
+88 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 500 places
2020
#9,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,152
-115 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,395 | 3,179 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,895 | 3,267 | 1.11 | +88 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 500 places |
| 2020 | #9,809 | 3,152 | 1.05 | -115 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 86 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 Stribling 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 | #9,895 | #9,809 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,267 | 3,152 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.05 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stribling bearers went from 3,267 to 3,152 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,895 to #9,809.
FAQ
Stribling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stribling?
Name Census estimates that about 3,614 living Americans carry the surname Stribling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,841 residents.
How common is Stribling?
Stribling ranks #9,809 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,152 people with the surname Stribling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,614), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Stribling.
Has Stribling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stribling went from 3,267 recorded bearers to 3,152. That is a decrease of 115 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,895 to #9,809.
What does the Census say about the background of Stribling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stribling, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Stribling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.2% (1,676 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stribling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.2%), Black (38.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Stribling (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 Stribling mean?
An English occupational surname derived from a place meaning "settlement of Stribel's people." 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 Stribling (1.05 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 Stribling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.