2000
#3,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.23
Rare Last name
Sturgeon
An English occupational surname for a fisherman or fish seller, derived from the Old English word "styria" meaning "sturgeon."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,936 Americans carry the last name Sturgeon. That puts it at #3,969 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,496 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.9K
1 in 34,496
Census rank
#3,969
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,665 bearers of the surname Sturgeon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3969th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturgeon, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sturgeon
The surname Sturgeon is of English origin, derived from the name of the fish "sturgeon". The name is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who caught or traded in sturgeons, a type of large, edible fish found in coastal waters and rivers.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Sturgeon dates back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, there is a reference to a person named Radulfus Sturgun. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the fish's name.
During the medieval period, the surname Sturgeon was particularly prevalent in areas near major rivers and coastal regions, where sturgeon fishing and trade were common. It was found in counties such as Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Essex, as well as in the cities of London and York.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Sturgeon was John Sturgeon (c. 1460-1512), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1511-1512.
Another prominent individual was William Sturgeon (1783-1850), an English scientist and inventor. He is credited with the development of the first practical electromagnet, which laid the foundation for the construction of electric motors and generators.
In the 16th century, the surname Sturgeon appeared in the parish records of Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk. In 1566, a Richard Sturgeon was recorded as a resident of the parish.
During the 17th century, the name Sturgeon was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Suffolk, Essex, and Lincolnshire. Notable bearers of the name during this period include John Sturgeon (1613-1668), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Rector of Bawburgh in Norfolk.
The 18th century saw the Sturgeon surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Wales. One Scottish bearer of note was Robert Sturgeon (1728-1790), a minister in the Church of Scotland who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly in 1786.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sturgeon
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturgeon, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 7,541
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 413
- Two or more races4.5% · 393
- Black or African American2.0% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sturgeon
Sturgeon 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
#3,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,007
+297 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.05
Rank movement Down 209 places
2020
#3,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,665
-342 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,741 | 8,710 | 3.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,950 | 9,007 | 3.05 | +297 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 209 places |
| 2020 | #3,969 | 8,665 | 2.90 | -342 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 19 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 Sturgeon 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 | #3,950 | #3,969 | -0.5% |
| Count | 9,007 | 8,665 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.05 | 2.90 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sturgeon bearers went from 9,007 to 8,665 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,950 to #3,969.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sturgeon
FAQ
Sturgeon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sturgeon?
Name Census estimates that about 9,936 living Americans carry the surname Sturgeon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,496 residents.
How common is Sturgeon?
Sturgeon ranks #3,969 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,665 people with the surname Sturgeon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,936), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sturgeon.
Has Sturgeon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sturgeon went from 9,007 recorded bearers to 8,665. That is a decrease of 342 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,950 to #3,969.
What does the Census say about the background of Sturgeon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturgeon, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sturgeon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (7,541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sturgeon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sturgeon (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 Sturgeon mean?
An English occupational surname for a fisherman or fish seller, derived from the Old English word "styria" meaning "sturgeon." 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 Sturgeon (2.90 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 common is the surname Sturgeon?
See how many people are called Sturgeon on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.