The Stedman surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,576 people carried this name — #7,282 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is up 6% from 4,336 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Stedman surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the steadman’.

An early record he cites: Richard Stedeman, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Steadman, Stedman and Steedman.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 715 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

23 people named Stedman is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 23

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Stedman was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Kent: 12 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 833. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Kent 12
Suffolk 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

67 families named Stedman, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 401 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 20
Massachusetts 15
Rhode Island 13
South Carolina 7
Vermont 4
New Hampshire 2
Pennsylvania 2
North Carolina 2
Maine 1
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 263 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Stedman in American newspapers,
1914–1920.

Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name Stedman
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1920-10-08
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Stedman
The Birmingham Age-herald 1914-08-09
Newspaper page from The Day Book carrying the name Stedman
The Day Book 1915-04-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 62,675 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Stedman in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2010s.

10,212 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Stedman. The most, 1,857, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,636
Victoria 2,600
Queensland 1,741
Western Australia 516
South Australia 480
Tasmania 127
ACT (Canberra) 34
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Stedman.

Who carried it

People named Stedman,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Gabriel Stedman
    John Gabriel Stedman 1744–1797 · writer
  • John Stedman d. 1791 · physician
  • Mary Stedman d. 1691
  • John Stedman d. 1600
  • Thomas Stedman 1564–
  • John Stedman 1590–

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Stedman,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States602 records

602 records of the Stedman name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 177
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 134
  • Other U.S. records 291
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward F. Stedman

    Born 1918 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at Buffalo; store buyer from Cuyahoga County, Ohio. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Allegany Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Stedman

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; servant. From Westmeath, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Paul Francis Stedman

    Born 1949; from Lakeland, Florida. U.S. Marine Corps, engineer equipment operator; died of wounds 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 602 records for Stedman in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia309 records

309 records of the Stedman name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 209
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 38
  • Other Australian records 62
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record James Stedman

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851. Married 1851 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 40.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Stedman

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Eliza, arriving 1820; certificate of freedom 1826.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hameford Stedman

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Ultonia, aged 26; British subject.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 309 records for Stedman in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada53 records

53 records of the Stedman name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 34
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Yvonne Stedman

    Buried in 1972 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Ann Stedman

    Died 1869 in Billtown, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Stephen Stedman

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 53 records for Stedman in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands21 records

21 records of the Stedman name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 14
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  • Dutch population registers 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Anna Helena Stedman

    Died 1836 in Zutphen, aged 55.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Francis Stedman

    Married in 1704 in Bergen op Zoom; born in Chester.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robbert Stedman

    Buried in 1770 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 21 records for Stedman in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom20 records

20 records of the Stedman name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie Stedman

    Buried in 1924 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 55.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Susannah Stedman

    Buried in 1799 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 33.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Stedman

    Welsh Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Stedman in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Stedman name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 10
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 9
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Stedman

    Died 1932, aged 78; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Doris Vera Stedman

    Died 1966, aged 71; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Maurice Archibald Stedman

    Died 1945, aged 60; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Stedman in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Stedman.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Stedman is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Stedman volume
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