2000
#15,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,791
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Studdard
A locational surname for someone from a place called Studdard or Studdert.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,940 Americans carry the last name Studdard. That puts it at #16,484 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 176,677 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Studdard 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
1.9K
1 in 176,677
Census rank
#16,484
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,692 bearers of the surname Studdard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16484th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Studdard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Studdard
The surname Studdard has its origins in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, where it can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "stod" meaning "stud" or "herd of horses," and "ard" meaning "a place or location." This suggests that the name originally referred to a place where horses were bred or kept.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Studdard can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, where a person named Richard Studdard is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1327, indicating its presence in that region during the medieval period.
The Studdard name has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Stoddard, Studard, and Studdert. These variations can be found in various historical records and documents, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during that era.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Studdard include John Studdard (1545-1620), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Linwood in Lincolnshire. Another prominent figure was Richard Studdard (1677-1738), a British merchant and plantation owner in the West Indies.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Studdard name dates back to the 17th century. John Studdard (1630-1690) was an English immigrant who settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Another notable American bearer of the Studdard name was John W. Studdard (1839-1925), a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War who later served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
In more recent times, Taylor Hicks, the American singer and winner of the fifth season of American Idol, was born with the surname Studdard, although he is better known by his stage name.
The Studdard surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. While the name has evolved with various spelling variations, it has maintained a presence in both British and American historical records, with notable individuals contributing to its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Studdard
Among Census respondents with the surname Studdard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Studdard 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 Studdard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 1,415
- Black or African American8.3% · 140
- Two or more races4.3% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Studdard
Studdard 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
#15,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,837
+46 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 735 places
2020
#16,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,692
-145 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 639 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,110 | 1,791 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,845 | 1,837 | 0.62 | +46 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 735 places |
| 2020 | #16,484 | 1,692 | 0.57 | -145 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 639 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 Studdard 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 | #15,845 | #16,484 | -4.0% |
| Count | 1,837 | 1,692 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.57 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Studdard bearers went from 1,837 to 1,692 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 639 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,845 to #16,484.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Studdard
FAQ
Studdard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Studdard?
Name Census estimates that about 1,940 living Americans carry the surname Studdard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 176,677 residents.
How common is Studdard?
Studdard ranks #16,484 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.57 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 1,692 people with the surname Studdard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,940), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.57 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 Studdard.
Has Studdard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Studdard went from 1,837 recorded bearers to 1,692. That is a decrease of 145 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,845 to #16,484.
What does the Census say about the background of Studdard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Studdard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Studdard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (1,415 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Studdard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (8.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Studdard (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 Studdard mean?
A locational surname for someone from a place called Studdard or Studdert. 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 Studdard (0.57 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 people have the last name Studdard?
Find out how many people have the last name Studdard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.