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

Stuart, 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 Stuart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stuart in America

Stuart is the 951st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stuart surname appeared 36,540 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Stuart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stuart 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 Stuart

The surname Stuart has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the old Scottish word "stuard," which means steward or guardian. This word itself is rooted in the Old English "stig-weard," meaning a household guardian or keeper of the hall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 12th century, when Walter Fitzalan, a Norman nobleman, was appointed as the High Steward of Scotland by King David I. This position later became a hereditary title, and Fitzalan's descendants adopted the surname "Stewart" or "Stuart" to reflect their role.

The Stuart family played a significant role in Scottish history, eventually ascending to the throne of Scotland in 1371 with the coronation of Robert II, the first Stuart monarch. The family's influence extended to England when James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, becoming James I of England and establishing the House of Stuart as the ruling dynasty for much of the 17th century.

Notable figures bearing the Stuart surname include Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567 and was eventually executed by her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Another prominent figure was Charles I (1600-1649), whose conflicts with Parliament led to the English Civil War and his eventual execution.

Other historical figures with the Stuart surname include John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792), who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763, and James Stuart (1713-1788), a renowned Scottish architect and one of the leading proponents of the Neoclassical style in Britain.

The name also has connections to place names, such as Stuart Island in Washington State, named after Sir Moses Stuart, a British naval officer in the 18th century. Older spellings of the name include "Steuart," "Stewart," and "Stywart," reflecting the various regional pronunciations and interpretations of the original Scottish word.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stuart

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

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 Stuart 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 Stuart 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 Stuart was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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