Explore the Family Name Stiefel

The meaning of Stiefel

1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Stiefel ‘boot’, Middle High German stivel, a metonymic occupational name for a bootmaker or nickname for somoene who wore distinctive boots. 2. German: from a pet form of the personal name Stefan, German form of Latin Stephanus (see Steven). Some characteristic forenames: German Otto, Kurt, Arnd, Erna, Erwin, Frieda, Hertha, Ilse.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Stiefel has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the years. In 2000, the rank of the surname was 14,101, and by 2010, it had dropped to 14,492, indicating a 2.77% decrease. However, interestingly, the count of individuals carrying the Stiefel surname increased from 1,958 in 2000 to 2,059 in 2010, an increase of 5.16%. The proportion per 100k people also declined from 0.73 to 0.7, marking a 4.11% decrease.

20002010Change
Rank#14,101#14,492-2.77%
Count1,9582,0595.16%
Proportion per 100k0.730.7-4.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stiefel

Examining the ethnic identity associated with the Stiefel surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, we note various changes from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, rising from 0.46% to 0.83%, while those reporting their ethnicity as two or more races also saw an increase, from 1.53% to 1.70%. The White ethnic group, which accounted for a significant majority at 95.40% in 2000, slightly decreased to 93.88% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic community saw substantial growth, from 1.79% to 2.67%. Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities reflected modest increases in the same period, from 0.51% to 0.53% and from 0.31% to 0.39%, respectively.

20002010Change
White95.4%93.88%-1.59%
Hispanic1.79%2.67%49.16%
Two or More Races1.53%1.7%11.11%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.46%0.83%80.43%
Black0.51%0.53%3.92%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.31%0.39%25.81%