2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stromley
An English surname derived from a place name referring to a stream or river clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Stromley. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stromley 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Stromley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stromley
The surname Stromley has its origins in the English county of Derbyshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "strom" meaning stream and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name originated from a place where an early bearer of the name lived near a stream in a meadow.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire, where a Robert de Stromleye is listed. The use of the French preposition "de" in this spelling indicates the name was likely already well-established at that time.
In the 14th century, the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire list a John de Stromley, suggesting the name had evolved to its more modern spelling by that point. This record also provides evidence that the name was associated with a specific place, likely a hamlet or village, further solidifying its geographical origins.
The Stromley surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from the 16th century, which were tax records. This indicates that the name had become more widespread throughout the county by this time.
One notable bearer of the Stromley name was William Stromley, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Cromford, Derbyshire, in the late 16th century. Records show he owned several acres of land and was a respected figure in the local community.
Another historical figure with this surname was Robert Stromley, who was born in 1675 in the village of Crich, Derbyshire. He was a successful merchant and is recorded as having donated funds towards the construction of a new church in the village.
In the 18th century, a Samuel Stromley was a prominent figure in the town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He was a successful businessman and served as a local magistrate, playing an influential role in the town's affairs.
The Stromley name also has connections to the village of Matlock in Derbyshire. In the early 19th century, a Thomas Stromley was a well-known figure in the village, operating a successful inn and serving as a local constable.
Finally, one of the more recent notable individuals with the Stromley surname was John Stromley, a noted historian and author born in 1885 in Derby. He wrote several books on the history and culture of Derbyshire, preserving valuable knowledge of the county's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stromley
Among Census respondents with the surname Stromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stromley 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 Stromley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 95
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stromley
Stromley 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 648 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-18 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 648 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 14,542 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 Stromley 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 | #141,140 | #155,682 | -10.3% |
| Count | 118 | 100 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stromley bearers went from 118 to 100 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 14,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #155,682.
FAQ
Stromley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stromley?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Stromley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Stromley?
Stromley ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Stromley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Stromley.
Has Stromley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stromley went from 118 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Stromley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Stromley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stromley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Stromley (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 Stromley mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to a stream or river clearing. 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 Stromley (0.03 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 Stromley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Stromley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.