NameCensus.

UK surname

Sterne

An occupational surname referring to a steersman or helmsman.

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Sterne surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 186, ranked #20,575, down from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Sefton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Dudley and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sterne is 210 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.8%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

186

2016, ranked #20,575

Peak year

1998

210 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sterne had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016, ranked #20,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 201 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sterne surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sterne surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sterne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sterne over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 39 #26,319
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 144 #18,842
1901 historical 201 #15,059
1911 historical 201 #14,905
1997 modern 206 #17,315
1998 modern 210 #17,600
1999 modern 207 #17,855
2000 modern 204 #17,987
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 201 #18,089
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 182 #20,495
2012 modern 193 #19,665
2013 modern 200 #19,524
2014 modern 195 #20,036
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 186 #20,575

Geography

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Where Sternes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras and Sefton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Dudley, Westminster, Harrogate and Harrow. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Sefton Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 005 West Devon
2 Dudley 041 Dudley
3 Westminster 001 Westminster
4 Harrogate 001 Harrogate
5 Harrow 015 Harrow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sterne

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sterne surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sterne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sterne, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sterne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sterne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Sterne is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sterne is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sterne falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sterne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sterne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sterne

The surname Sterne has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "stern," meaning "star." This name was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who bore a resemblance to a star or who lived near an establishment with a star symbol.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sterne can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dated 1288. This record mentions a Johannes Sterne from the town of Zwickau.

During the 14th century, the name Sterne appeared in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. In the Brandenburger Lehnbücher (Brandenburg Fiefdom Books) from 1375, there is a reference to a knight named Henricus Sterne.

The name Sterne has also been found in historical records from other European countries, such as England and France, likely due to migration and intermarriage. One notable example is Laurence Sterne (1713-1768), an English novelist and Anglican clergyman, best known for his novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

In the 16th century, the name Sterne was recorded in the Nuremberg Patrician families, indicating its presence among the nobility. Johann Sterne (1524-1592) was a renowned German mathematician and astronomer who worked on improving the accuracy of astronomical tables.

Another notable figure with the surname Sterne was Jacques Stern (1520-1569), a French Protestant theologian and Hebrew scholar. He was a professor at the Genevan Academy and contributed significantly to the study of the Old Testament.

During the 17th century, the name Sterne appeared in various German regions, including Saxony, Silesia, and Prussia. One example is Johann Gottfried Sterne (1676-1737), a German philosopher and mathematician who made contributions to the field of logic.

As the name Sterne spread across Europe, it also found its way to other countries through migration and intermarriage. One notable example is the English astronomer and mathematician William Sterne (1763-1824), who made significant contributions to the study of comets and asteroids.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sterne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sterne surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 33 Sternes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 33 3.16x
Essex 11 5.34x
Surrey 11 2.16x
Yorkshire 9 0.87x
Lancashire 8 0.65x
Buckinghamshire 7 11.10x
Cambridgeshire 7 10.59x
Lincolnshire 7 4.20x
Suffolk 3 2.36x
Hampshire 2 0.94x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.42x
Glamorgan 1 0.55x
Herefordshire 1 2.34x
Kent 1 0.28x
Northamptonshire 1 1.02x
Renfrewshire 1 1.24x
Somerset 1 0.60x
Wiltshire 1 1.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 11 Sternes recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.10x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 11 13.10x
Hunslet 8 49.63x
Fenny Stratford 7 1166.67x
Islington London 7 6.92x
Little Eversden 7 8750.00x
Clee With Weelsby 6 164.38x
Brentwood 5 396.83x
Camberwell 5 7.50x
Newington 5 12.97x
Cheetham 4 43.29x
Everton 4 10.14x
Whitechapel London 4 38.87x
Leyton Low 3 71.60x
Shoreditch London 3 6.63x
West Ham 3 6.60x
Clerkenwell London 2 8.12x
Lowestoft 2 33.33x
Tottenham 2 12.03x
Acton 1 16.34x
Aldershot 1 13.95x
Avenbury 1 666.67x
Bathwick 1 53.76x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.21x
East Greenock 1 13.09x
Fullaway 1 0.00x
Kidbrooke 1 500.00x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.75x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 52.08x
Oystermouth 1 70.92x
Pilton 1 2500.00x
Portsea 1 2.39x
Ratcliffe London 1 17.36x
Sculcoates 1 6.10x
St George Hanover 1 7.34x
Thornham Magna 1 1000.00x
Wandsworth 1 9.95x
Woodhall 1 1000.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sterne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sterne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Sterne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sterne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Sterne surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sterne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016. That gives Sterne a modern rank of #20,575.

What does the Sterne surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a steersman or helmsman.

What does the Sterne map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sterne bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.