2000
#10,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Sturtevant
A locational surname derived from places in West Sussex and Wiltshire, England, likely referring to a sturdy bridge or crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,017 Americans carry the last name Sturtevant. That puts it at #11,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sturtevant 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
3.0K
1 in 113,608
Census rank
#11,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,631 bearers of the surname Sturtevant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturtevant, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sturtevant
The surname STURTEVANT originates from France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "esturjon," meaning "sturgeon," a type of fish. The name likely referred to someone who caught or traded in sturgeons, or possibly lived near a location where sturgeons were abundant.
Early records indicate the name was initially spelled in various ways, such as Sturgeon, Sturgion, and Sturtgyn. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Sturge" in the county of Worcestershire, England.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Sturgion" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. During this time, many French surnames were introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and it is believed the STURTEVANT name may have arrived in England through this process.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Sir John Sturtevant, born around 1330 in Leicestershire, England. He was a prominent knight and landowner during the reign of Edward III.
In the 16th century, the spelling "STURTEVANT" became more common, as seen in the records of William STURTEVANT, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was born in 1542.
Another notable individual was Samuel STURTEVANT, born in 1600 in Somersetshire, England. He was one of the earliest settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, arriving in 1636 and establishing himself in the town of Roxbury.
In the 17th century, the name also appeared in various place names, such as Sturtevant Farm in Cheshire, England, and Sturtevant Creek in Virginia, USA.
John STURTEVANT, born in 1668 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was a prominent figure in the early days of the American colonies. He served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court and played a role in the establishment of the town of Plympton.
During the American Revolutionary War, Ezra STURTEVANT, born in 1737 in Massachusetts, served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Throughout history, the STURTEVANT name has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, soldiers, and public officials, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sturtevant
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturtevant, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sturtevant 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 Sturtevant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,388
- Two or more races3.1% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 67
- Black or African American2.1% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sturtevant
Sturtevant 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
#11,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,770
-39 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 891 places
2020
#11,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,631
-139 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,492 | 2,809 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,383 | 2,770 | 0.94 | -39 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 891 places |
| 2020 | #11,453 | 2,631 | 0.88 | -139 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 70 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 Sturtevant 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 | #11,383 | #11,453 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,770 | 2,631 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.88 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sturtevant bearers went from 2,770 to 2,631 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,383 to #11,453.
FAQ
Sturtevant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sturtevant?
Name Census estimates that about 3,017 living Americans carry the surname Sturtevant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,608 residents.
How common is Sturtevant?
Sturtevant ranks #11,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,631 people with the surname Sturtevant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,017), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sturtevant.
Has Sturtevant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sturtevant went from 2,770 recorded bearers to 2,631. That is a decrease of 139 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,383 to #11,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Sturtevant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturtevant, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Sturtevant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sturtevant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Sturtevant (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 Sturtevant mean?
A locational surname derived from places in West Sussex and Wiltshire, England, likely referring to a sturdy bridge or crossing. 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 Sturtevant (0.88 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 Sturtevant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.