2000
#292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93,817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 34.78
Common Last name
Stanley
An English occupational surname for a stoneworker or stone mason, derived from Old English "stan" meaning stone and "leah" meaning wood or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 104,782 Americans carry the last name Stanley. That puts it at #335 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 30.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stanley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stanley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
105K
1 in 3,271
Census rank
#335
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
30.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
91K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 91,375 bearers of the surname Stanley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 30.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 335th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanley, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stanley
The surname Stanley originates from the Old English words 'stan' meaning stone and 'leah' meaning a clearing or meadow. It is an English locational surname that first emerged in Staffordshire, England during the 11th century.
The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stony clearing or meadow. The earliest known recording of the surname is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Stanlei'.
During the 12th century, the name began to spread across England, with various spellings emerging such as Stanlegh, Stanleye, and Stawnley. Place names like Stanley in Derbyshire and Stanley in Wiltshire also contributed to the growth of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Stanley surname was William de Stanley, who was born in Staffordshire around 1235. He was a prominent landowner and served as a knight during the reign of King Henry III.
Another notable figure was Sir John Stanley (1350-1414), who was a military commander and played a crucial role in the Battle of Shrewsbury during the Wars of the Roses. He was later appointed as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
In the 16th century, Sir William Stanley (1548-1630) gained fame as a soldier and navigator. He was instrumental in the establishment of British colonies in North America and served as the Governor of Newfoundland.
Edward Stanley, 1st Baron Monteagle (1460-1523), was a prominent English nobleman and a close advisor to King Henry VIII. He is best known for his role in uncovering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which aimed to assassinate the King.
Thomas Stanley (1625-1678), born in Derbyshire, was a renowned English philosopher, poet, and translator. He is celebrated for his translations of ancient Greek and Roman works, including those of Aeschylus and Anacreon.
Throughout its history, the Stanley surname has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including military, politics, exploration, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stanley
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanley, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stanley 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 Stanley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 69,181
- Black or African American14.8% · 13,478
- Two or more races4.2% · 3,810
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 3,134
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 893
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 879
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stanley
Stanley 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
#321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96,867
+3,050 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 32.84
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 91,375
-5,492 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 30.57
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #292 | 93,817 | 34.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #321 | 96,867 | 32.84 | +3,050 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #335 | 91,375 | 30.57 | -5,492 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 14 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 Stanley 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 | #321 | #335 | -4.4% |
| Count | 96,867 | 91,375 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 32.84 | 30.57 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stanley bearers went from 96,867 to 91,375 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #321 to #335.
FAQ
Stanley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stanley?
Name Census estimates that about 104,782 living Americans carry the surname Stanley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,271 residents.
How common is Stanley?
Stanley ranks #335 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 30.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 31 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 91,375 people with the surname Stanley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (104,782), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 30.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 30.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 31 of them to have the surname Stanley.
Has Stanley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stanley went from 96,867 recorded bearers to 91,375. That is a decrease of 5,492 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #321 to #335.
What does the Census say about the background of Stanley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanley, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Stanley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (69,181 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stanley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (14.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Stanley (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 Stanley mean?
An English occupational surname for a stoneworker or stone mason, derived from Old English "stan" meaning stone and "leah" meaning wood or clearing. 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 Stanley (30.57 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 Stanley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.