2000
#36,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 583
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Stettner
From the Old German words for town/city and inhabitant, signifying one from a town or city.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 634 Americans carry the last name Stettner. That puts it at #42,249 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 540,622 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stettner 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
634
1 in 540,622
Census rank
#42,249
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
553
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 553 bearers of the surname Stettner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42249th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stettner
The surname Stettner has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "stetten," which referred to a place or settlement. Variations of the name spelling include Stettener and Stetner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Stettner name appears in the Deutsches Städtebuch, a historical record of German cities and towns from the 15th century. The name is listed in connection with the town of Stetten, located in the region of Swabia, suggesting that the surname originated from this particular place.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Stettner name was Johannes Stettner, a German theologian and author born in 1510 in the city of Ulm. He wrote several works on religious subjects and was involved in the Reformation movement.
During the 17th century, the Stettner family had established roots in the town of Weingarten, located in the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg. Records from this period show a Christoph Stettner, born in 1625, who worked as a master craftsman and guild member.
In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the Stettner surname was Johann Georg Stettner, a German composer and organist born in 1722 in the city of Augsburg. He composed numerous works for the organ and was highly regarded in his time.
Another noteworthy figure was Karl Stettner, a German philosopher and writer who lived in the 19th century (1808-1875). He wrote extensively on topics related to ethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his era.
As the Stettner name spread across Germany and beyond, it became associated with various professions and trades, from artisans and craftsmen to scholars and intellectuals. Despite its geographic origins, the name has since been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stettner
Among Census respondents with the surname Stettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stettner 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 Stettner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 503
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 28
- Two or more races2.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stettner
Stettner 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
#36,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 613
+30 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 201 places
2020
#42,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 553
-60 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 5,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,276 | 583 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,477 | 613 | 0.21 | +30 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 201 places |
| 2020 | #42,249 | 553 | 0.19 | -60 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 5,772 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 Stettner 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 | #36,477 | #42,249 | -15.8% |
| Count | 613 | 553 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.19 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stettner bearers went from 613 to 553 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 5,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,477 to #42,249.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stettner
FAQ
Stettner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stettner?
Name Census estimates that about 634 living Americans carry the surname Stettner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 540,622 residents.
How common is Stettner?
Stettner ranks #42,249 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 553 people with the surname Stettner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Stettner.
Has Stettner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stettner went from 613 recorded bearers to 553. That is a decrease of 60 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,477 to #42,249.
What does the Census say about the background of Stettner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Stettner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stettner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Stettner (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 Stettner mean?
From the Old German words for town/city and inhabitant, signifying one from a town or city. 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 Stettner (0.19 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 are called Stettner?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Stettner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.