Studebaker last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Studebaker

A German occupational surname referring to a carpenter specializing in building wooden houses or barns.

Studebaker, 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 Studebaker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Studebaker in America

Studebaker is the 11919th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Studebaker surname appeared 2,627 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Studebaker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Studebaker 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 11919 11410 4.36%
Count 2,627 2,533 3.64%
Proportion per 100k 0.89 0.94 -5.46%

The history of the last name Studebaker

The surname Studebaker has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "studebach," which means "a small stream" or "a brook." This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near a small stream or brook in the early days.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Studebaker name can be found in the records of the Palatinate region of Germany, where a family by the name of Studebacher was mentioned in the 1600s. The name underwent various spelling variations over time, including Stutenbecker, Studebecker, and Studebaker.

The Studebakers were among the early German immigrants to the United States, with some members of the family arriving in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Peter Studebaker, who was born in 1736 in Muhlhofen, Germany, and later immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1736.

In the 19th century, the Studebaker family became prominent in the manufacturing industry, particularly in the production of wagons and carriages. Clement Studebaker (1831-1901) and his brothers, including John M. Studebaker (1833-1917), established the Studebaker Corporation in South Bend, Indiana, which later became one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the Studebaker surname include:

  1. Jacob Studebaker (1793-1835), an early member of the Studebaker family in America and a blacksmith by trade.
  2. Henry Studebaker (1826-1897), one of the founders of the Studebaker Corporation and a pioneer in the wagon-manufacturing industry.
  3. Henry A. Studebaker (1857-1936), an American businessman and executive who served as the president of the Studebaker Corporation.
  4. Albert R. Studebaker (1836-1917), a politician and businessman from Indiana who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
  5. John W. Studebaker (1833-1917), a co-founder of the Studebaker Corporation and a prominent business leader in South Bend, Indiana.

The Studebaker name has left an indelible mark on American history, particularly in the fields of manufacturing, transportation, and business. Although the Studebaker Corporation ceased operations in the 1960s, the name continues to be associated with innovation, quality, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Studebaker

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

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 Studebaker was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.44% 2,481
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.19% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.84% 22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.53% 14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.83% 48
Hispanic Origin 2.17% 57

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 Studebaker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.44% 96.60% -2.26%
Black 0.19% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.84% 0.79% 6.13%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.53% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.83% 1.26% 36.89%
Hispanic 2.17% 1.14% 62.24%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Studebaker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/studebaker-surname-popularity/.

"Studebaker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/studebaker-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Studebaker last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/studebaker-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.