2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Studds
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "stod," meaning a stud or stock horse breeder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Studds. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Studds 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Studds in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Studds, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Studds
The surname STUDDS originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "studd," which referred to a stud, or a post or stake used in construction. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with wood or construction materials.
The earliest recorded instances of the STUDDS surname date back to the late 13th and early 14th centuries in various county records and tax rolls. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Studde, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.
In the 14th century, the STUDDS surname appeared in various spellings, such as Stud, Studde, and Studdis, reflecting the diverse regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire.
The STUDDS surname gained prominence with the rise of Sir John Studds (c. 1390-1450), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire during the Wars of the Roses. His family held the manor of Studley in Oxfordshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of their surname.
Another notable bearer of the STUDDS name was Robert Studds (c. 1510-1580), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Gloucester. He was instrumental in funding the construction of several churches and almshouses in the city.
In the 17th century, the STUDDS family had a strong presence in Gloucestershire, with several members serving as clergymen and local officials. One such figure was Reverend William Studds (1622-1688), who served as the rector of Stow-on-the-Wold for over 40 years.
The STUDDS surname also has connections to place names, such as Studley in Warwickshire and Studland in Dorset, which may have influenced some branches of the family.
Other notable individuals with the STUDDS surname include Sir Henry Studds (1765-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Charles Studds (1838-1912), a renowned architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Studds
Among Census respondents with the surname Studds, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Studds 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 Studds surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 97
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Studds
Studds 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-9 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,068 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-27 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 15,068 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -27 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 21,557 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 Studds 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 | #134,712 | #156,269 | -16.0% |
| Count | 125 | 98 | -21.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Studds bearers went from 125 to 98 (-21.6% change). The surname moved down 21,557 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #156,269.
FAQ
Studds surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Studds?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Studds. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Studds?
Studds ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Studds. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Studds.
Has Studds become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Studds went from 125 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 27 (-21.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Studds?
Among Census respondents with the surname Studds, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Studds in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Studds appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Studds (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 Studds mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "stod," meaning a stud or stock horse breeder. 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 Studds (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 common is the surname Studds?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Studds at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.