2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stunson
A surname derived from a nickname for someone who stuns or knocks out.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Stunson. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stunson 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Stunson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stunson, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stunson
The surname Stunson is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "stun" meaning "to stun or daze" and "sunu" meaning "son," possibly referring to a son of a person who had a reputation for being a formidable or intimidating individual. Alternatively, it may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a hunter or trapper, using stun weapons or techniques to capture animals.
Early records show variations in spelling, including Stunson, Stunson, and Stunsen, which were common in areas like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, which recorded tax records and legal transactions.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was John Stunson, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1327. Another early record is that of William Stunson, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1402.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various parish records, such as the baptism of Margery Stunson in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1562. During this period, the surname was also associated with certain place names, such as Stunsonby in Yorkshire, which may have influenced its development.
Notable figures bearing the Stunson surname include:
1. Richard Stunson (c. 1540-1612), an English merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, known for his involvement in the wool trade.
2. Anne Stunson (1625-1698), a Puritan writer and religious activist from Nottinghamshire, known for her published works on spiritual matters.
3. Thomas Stunson (1670-1732), an English clockmaker and inventor from Lincolnshire, credited with developing an early form of the lever escapement for clocks.
4. Elizabeth Stunson (1745-1821), a philanthropist and benefactor from Yorkshire, who donated significant funds for the establishment of schools and orphanages in her region.
5. Charles Stunson (1810-1886), a British explorer and naturalist, known for his expeditions to the Australian outback and his contributions to the study of native flora and fauna.
Throughout its history, the surname Stunson has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with concentrations in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where it is believed to have originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stunson
Among Census respondents with the surname Stunson, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stunson 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 Stunson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.0% · 49
- Black or African American40.2% · 41
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stunson
Stunson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 986 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 Stunson 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 | #153,769 | #154,755 | -0.6% |
| Count | 106 | 102 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stunson bearers went from 106 to 102 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 986 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,755.
FAQ
Stunson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stunson?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Stunson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Stunson?
Stunson ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Stunson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Stunson.
Has Stunson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stunson went from 106 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Stunson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stunson, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Stunson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.0% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stunson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.0%), Black (40.2%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Stunson (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 Stunson mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for someone who stuns or knocks out. 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 Stunson (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 share the surname Stunson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.