2000
#10,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,656
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Steeves
A variant of "Steeve," referring to someone who lived near a tree stump or worked as a woodcutter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,877 Americans carry the last name Steeves. That puts it at #11,922 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,136 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steeves 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
2.9K
1 in 119,136
Census rank
#11,922
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,509 bearers of the surname Steeves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11922nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steeves
The surname "Steeves" is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name "Steve," a pet form of the name "Stephen." The name "Stephen" is derived from the Greek name "Stephanos," meaning "crown" or "garland."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Steeves" can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset and Wiltshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from the Old English word "stef," meaning "staff" or "stick," suggesting that it may have been an occupational surname for someone who carried a staff or worked with sticks.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname "Steeves" is John Steeves, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Another early record is that of William Steeves, who was listed in the Court Rolls of Wiltshire in 1379.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "Steeves" began to spread to other parts of England, as well as to Wales and Scotland. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Steves," "Steeves," or "Stevins."
One notable bearer of the surname "Steeves" was Sir William Steeves (1555-1623), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Another prominent figure with the surname "Steeves" was Sir John Steeves (1628-1703), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the English Civil War and later served as a Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire.
In the 18th century, the surname "Steeves" began to appear in the American colonies, particularly in New England and the British Maritime provinces of Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of John Steeves, who was born in Massachusetts in 1725.
Other notable bearers of the surname "Steeves" include:
1. William Steeves (1785-1865), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.
2. Elias Steeves (1828-1904), an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
3. Charles Steeves (1855-1937), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and was a prominent figure in the lumber industry.
4. Reverend Douglas Steeves (1904-1988), a Canadian clergyman and author who served as the Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 1966 to 1968.
5. Sharon Steeves (born 1958), a Canadian athlete and Olympian who competed in the sport of rowing and won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steeves
Among Census respondents with the surname Steeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Steeves 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 Steeves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,317
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 77
- Two or more races2.6% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steeves
Steeves 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
#11,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,734
+78 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 518 places
2020
#11,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,509
-225 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,986 | 2,656 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,504 | 2,734 | 0.93 | +78 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 518 places |
| 2020 | #11,922 | 2,509 | 0.84 | -225 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 418 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 Steeves 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 | #11,504 | #11,922 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,734 | 2,509 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.84 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steeves bearers went from 2,734 to 2,509 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 418 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,504 to #11,922.
FAQ
Steeves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steeves?
Name Census estimates that about 2,877 living Americans carry the surname Steeves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,136 residents.
How common is Steeves?
Steeves ranks #11,922 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,509 people with the surname Steeves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,877), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Steeves.
Has Steeves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steeves went from 2,734 recorded bearers to 2,509. That is a decrease of 225 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,504 to #11,922.
What does the Census say about the background of Steeves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Steeves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,317 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steeves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Steeves (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 Steeves mean?
A variant of "Steeve," referring to someone who lived near a tree stump or worked as a woodcutter. 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 Steeves (0.84 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 last name Steeves?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Steeves on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.