2000
#9,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Sturges
A locational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to someone living near a fort or pathway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,383 Americans carry the last name Sturges. That puts it at #10,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sturges 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 Sturges with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,317
Census rank
#10,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,950 bearers of the surname Sturges in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturges, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sturges
The surname STURGES is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "stur" and "gehæg," which collectively translate to "a place enclosed by a sturdy fence or hedge."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Sturges in the county of Wiltshire. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of southern England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Sturges, Sturgis, and Sturgess, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset, where many early bearers of the name resided.
One notable individual with the surname STURGES was Sir William Sturges (c. 1455-1522), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was John Sturges (1610-1669), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
In the 17th century, the surname STURGES gained further recognition through the exploits of Sir Samuel Sturges (1638-1704), a successful merchant and banker in London. He was instrumental in establishing the Bank of England and served as its first Deputy Governor from 1694 to 1700.
Moving into the 18th century, the name STURGES was associated with the renowned philosopher and abolitionist John Sturges (1724-1807), who advocated for the abolition of the slave trade and the emancipation of enslaved people.
Another notable figure was Sir John Sturges (1764-1846), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He was recognized for his bravery and strategic leadership, earning him the prestigious Order of the Bath.
As the name STURGES spread across England and beyond, it continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, and professionals, solidifying its place in the annals of British history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sturges
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturges, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sturges 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 Sturges surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 2,435
- Black or African American8.0% · 235
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 135
- Two or more races3.3% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sturges
Sturges 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
#10,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,958
-88 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 981 places
2020
#10,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,950
-8 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 397 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,801 | 3,046 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,782 | 2,958 | 1.00 | -88 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 981 places |
| 2020 | #10,385 | 2,950 | 0.99 | -8 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 397 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 Sturges 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 | #10,782 | #10,385 | 3.7% |
| Count | 2,958 | 2,950 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.99 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sturges bearers went from 2,958 to 2,950 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 397 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,782 to #10,385.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sturges
FAQ
Sturges surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sturges?
Name Census estimates that about 3,383 living Americans carry the surname Sturges. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,317 residents.
How common is Sturges?
Sturges ranks #10,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,950 people with the surname Sturges. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,383), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Sturges.
Has Sturges become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sturges went from 2,958 recorded bearers to 2,950. That is a decrease of 8 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,782 to #10,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Sturges?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sturges, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Sturges in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (2,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sturges appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (8.0%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Sturges (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 Sturges mean?
A locational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to someone living near a fort or pathway. 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 Sturges (0.99 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 Sturges?
You can see how common the surname Sturges is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.