Explore the Family Name Step

The meaning of Step

1. English (mainly Devon and Cornwall): topographic name from Middle English step(pe), stap(pe) ‘step’ (Old English stæpe), probably denoting someone who lived by a ford with stepping stones. 2. Flemish, Dutch, and German: from a short form of the personal name Stephan, from Latin Stephanus (see Steven). Compare Stepp.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Step in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Step" experienced a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 92,217, but by 2010, it had dropped to rank 101,247, marking a decline of approximately 9.79%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased from 185 in 2000 to 178 in 2010, showing a reduction of 3.78%. Accordingly, the proportion per 100k fell by 14.29% over the same decade.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#92,217	#101,247	-9.79%
Count	185	178	-3.78%
Proportion per 100k	0.07	0.06	-14.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Step

The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Step" also evolved during the same period as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The White community encompassed the majority of individuals with this surname, although their percentage decreased by 1.74%, from 89.19% in 2000 to 87.64% in 2010. During the same period, the Black community saw a significant decrease of 44.10%, dropping from 7.03% to 3.93%. Those identifying with two or more races saw a slight increase from 2.70% to 2.81%. Notably, the Hispanic community emerged in the 2010 census for this surname where there was no representation in 2000. Data for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities remained constant with no change.

	2000	2010	Change
White	89.19%	87.64%	-1.74%
Black	7.03%	3.93%	-44.1%
Two or More Races	2.7%	2.81%	4.07%
Hispanic	0%	2.81%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%