2000
#41,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Rare Last name
Steuart
A English surname derived from an old pronunciation of the word "steward".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,063 Americans carry the last name Steuart. That puts it at #27,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 322,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steuart 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 Steuart with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 322,441
Census rank
#27,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
927
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 927 bearers of the surname Steuart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steuart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steuart
The surname STEUART originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "stiward," which means "keeper of the hall" or "steward." The name was initially used as an occupational title for individuals responsible for managing household affairs and estates.
The earliest recorded instances of the STEUART surname can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented homages rendered to King Edward I of England, several individuals with the surname STEUART are listed, indicating its widespread use at the time.
The STEUART surname has long been associated with Scottish nobility and landowners. One notable figure was Sir John Steuart (1515-1563), who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. Another prominent individual was Sir James Steuart (1713-1780), a Scottish economist and philosopher known for his work "An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Economy."
In the 16th century, the STEUART surname was often spelled as "Stewart" or "Stuart," reflecting the influence of the royal House of Stuart, which ruled Scotland and England from 1371 to 1714. The spelling "STEUART" emerged as a distinct variant during this period.
The STEUART surname has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Stewartfield and Stewartry, further cementing its historical roots in the region. Additionally, the name has been associated with the Clan Stuart, one of the most prominent Scottish clans.
Other notable individuals with the STEUART surname include Sir Thomas Steuart Denham (1805-1870), a British colonial administrator and explorer in Africa; Sir James Steuart Denham (1744-1839), a Scottish lawyer and politician; and Sir Archibald Steuart Denham (1763-1847), a British naval officer and colonial administrator.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steuart
Among Census respondents with the surname Steuart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Steuart 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 Steuart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 777
- Black or African American9.5% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 27
- Two or more races2.7% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steuart
Steuart 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
#47,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 447
-45 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 5,772 places
2020
#27,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 927
+480 bearers (+107.4%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 19,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,657 | 492 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,429 | 447 | 0.15 | -45 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 5,772 places |
| 2020 | #27,535 | 927 | 0.31 | +480 bearers (+107.4%) | Up 19,894 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 Steuart 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 | #47,429 | #27,535 | 41.9% |
| Count | 447 | 927 | 107.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.31 | 106.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steuart bearers went from 447 to 927 (+107.4% change). The surname moved up 19,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,429 to #27,535.
FAQ
Steuart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steuart?
Name Census estimates that about 1,063 living Americans carry the surname Steuart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 322,441 residents.
How common is Steuart?
Steuart ranks #27,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 927 people with the surname Steuart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,063), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Steuart.
Has Steuart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steuart went from 447 recorded bearers to 927. That is an increase of 480 (+107.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #47,429 to #27,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Steuart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steuart, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (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 Steuart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (777 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steuart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Black (9.5%), Hispanic (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 Steuart (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 Steuart mean?
A English surname derived from an old pronunciation of the word "steward". 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 Steuart (0.31 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 share the surname Steuart?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.