2000
#6,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,655
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Suttles
English occupational surname for a maker or seller of subtle, a fine grade of wheat flour.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,288 Americans carry the last name Suttles. That puts it at #7,023 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,817 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suttles 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
5.3K
1 in 64,817
Census rank
#7,023
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,611 bearers of the surname Suttles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7023rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suttles, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suttles
The surname Suttles is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "suð" meaning "south" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a southern town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Sudtun," which likely refers to a place name that later evolved into the modern spelling of Suttles.
In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Sudtun living in Berkshire, England. This early spelling variation further reinforces the connection between the name and its potential geographical origins.
During the 16th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of England. Historical records from this time include individuals such as John Suttles, born in 1532 in Yorkshire, and William Suttles, born in 1567 in Oxfordshire.
One notable figure with the surname Suttles was Sir Thomas Suttles (1610-1678), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Dorset during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in supporting the Parliamentary cause against King Charles I.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Suttles (1735-1803), a renowned author and poet from Gloucestershire, whose works gained popularity during the latter part of the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name Suttles can be found in various parts of the United Kingdom, with records indicating individuals such as James Suttles (1812-1891), a prominent merchant in Liverpool, and Mary Suttles (1839-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Glasgow, Scotland.
Throughout its history, the surname Suttles has been associated with various place names and spellings, including Sutton, Suttun, and Sudtun, reflecting its potential origins as a locational surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suttles
Among Census respondents with the surname Suttles, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Suttles 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 Suttles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 3,375
- Black or African American18.7% · 861
- Two or more races4.5% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 133
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suttles
Suttles 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
#6,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,821
+166 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#7,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,611
-210 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,692 | 4,655 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,958 | 4,821 | 1.63 | +166 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #7,023 | 4,611 | 1.54 | -210 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 65 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 Suttles 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 | #6,958 | #7,023 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,821 | 4,611 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.54 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suttles bearers went from 4,821 to 4,611 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,958 to #7,023.
FAQ
Suttles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suttles?
Name Census estimates that about 5,288 living Americans carry the surname Suttles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,817 residents.
How common is Suttles?
Suttles ranks #7,023 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,611 people with the surname Suttles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,288), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Suttles.
Has Suttles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suttles went from 4,821 recorded bearers to 4,611. That is a decrease of 210 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,958 to #7,023.
What does the Census say about the background of Suttles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suttles, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Suttles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (3,375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suttles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (18.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Suttles (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 Suttles mean?
English occupational surname for a maker or seller of subtle, a fine grade of wheat flour. 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 Suttles (1.54 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 Americans have the surname Suttles?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.