2000
#1,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,613
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.12
Uncommon Last name
Stover
An occupational surname for a person who tended fires, particularly in a bathhouse or brewery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,657 Americans carry the last name Stover. That puts it at #1,497 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,858 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stover 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 Stover with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,858
Census rank
#1,497
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,246 bearers of the surname Stover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1497th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stover
The surname Stover is of English origin, emerging in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "stofu," meaning a room or small dwelling. The name initially referred to someone who lived in a small hut or cottage, perhaps a stonemason or a craftsman.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Stover can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mention a Walter le Stover. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also reference a John Stover.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Stover was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire in England. It is also worth noting that the name was sometimes spelled as Stovere or Stofer in early records.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Stover was John Stover (c. 1505-1571), an English churchman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex and a Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Another prominent individual was Richard Stover (1573-1627), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Wiltshire and wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on Conscience" and "A Commentary on the Book of Proverbs."
In the realm of literature, mention can be made of Wilbur D. Stover (1869-1949), an American writer and educator who authored several books, including "Life of George Washington" and "The Woodranger."
The name Stover also has connections to place names, such as Stover Park in Torbay, Devon, which was named after a family that owned the estate in the 17th century.
Another notable figure was Sir Richard Stover (1577-1629), an English Member of Parliament who represented Somerset in the House of Commons and served as the High Sheriff of Somerset in 1625.
While the surname Stover is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with roots in various counties of England and connections to individuals who made significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stover
Among Census respondents with the surname Stover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stover 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 Stover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 19,696
- Black or African American7.3% · 1,687
- Two or more races3.9% · 909
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 631
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 175
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 148
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stover
Stover 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
#1,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,526
-87 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 8.31
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#1,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,246
-1,280 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 7.78
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,313 | 24,613 | 9.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,455 | 24,526 | 8.31 | -87 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #1,497 | 23,246 | 7.78 | -1,280 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 42 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 Stover 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 | #1,455 | #1,497 | -2.9% |
| Count | 24,526 | 23,246 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.31 | 7.78 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stover bearers went from 24,526 to 23,246 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,455 to #1,497.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stover
FAQ
Stover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stover?
Name Census estimates that about 26,657 living Americans carry the surname Stover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,858 residents.
How common is Stover?
Stover ranks #1,497 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,246 people with the surname Stover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,657), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Stover.
Has Stover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stover went from 24,526 recorded bearers to 23,246. That is a decrease of 1,280 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,455 to #1,497.
What does the Census say about the background of Stover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Stover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (19,696 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (7.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Stover (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 Stover mean?
An occupational surname for a person who tended fires, particularly in a bathhouse or brewery. 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 Stover (7.78 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 Stover?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Stover on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.