2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Stursa
A variation of the German surname "Sturtz" meaning a person who is stubborn or obstinate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Stursa. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stursa 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Stursa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stursa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stursa
The surname STURSA is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Czech word "stursa," which means "stream" or "watercourse." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a small stream or river.
The earliest known record of the STURSA name dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in a census record from the town of Ústí nad Labem in the northwestern region of Bohemia. The name was spelled "Sturssa" at that time, reflecting the phonetic spelling common in medieval documents.
In the 16th century, a prominent Czech historian and cartographer named Václav STURSA (1529-1601) gained recognition for his detailed maps of Bohemia and Moravia. His work was instrumental in the development of early modern cartography and helped establish the STURSA name as a respected family line.
During the 17th century, the name STURSA appeared in various church records and land deeds in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. One notable individual from this era was Jan STURSA (1637-1704), a Baroque architect who designed several churches and monasteries in the Czech lands.
In the 19th century, a Czech painter named Josef STURSA (1835-1923) gained fame for his landscape paintings depicting the beautiful scenery of Bohemia. His works are now housed in several art museums across the Czech Republic.
Another notable figure bearing the STURSA surname was Jaroslav STURSA (1891-1962), a Czech lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Czechoslovak government during the interwar period.
The name STURSA has also been recorded in other Central European countries, such as Slovakia and Austria, likely due to migration patterns and intermarriage between families from different regions. However, its origins can be traced back to the Czech lands, where it has been present for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stursa
Among Census respondents with the surname Stursa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stursa 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 Stursa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stursa
Stursa 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-17 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,132 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 25,132 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Stursa 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stursa bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Stursa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stursa?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Stursa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Stursa?
Stursa ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Stursa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Stursa.
Has Stursa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stursa went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Stursa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stursa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Stursa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stursa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Stursa (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 Stursa mean?
A variation of the German surname "Sturtz" meaning a person who is stubborn or obstinate. 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 Stursa (0.04 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 surname Stursa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.