Surname Stumps - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'S'
Stumps: What does the surname Stumps mean?
The last name Stumps is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English word "stump", meaning "tree stump", and is likely a reference to the family's ancestor having lived in a region where stumps were common. Stumps were once used to mark boundaries or for dividing land for farming and the family may have taken its name from the fact that they owned land within such boundaries.
The Stumps family lived in various parts of England after the Norman Conquest, mostly in the North East, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. The family may have been members of the local gentry or minor nobility, as Stumps is a very prominent ancestral surname throughout England.
By the 16th century, many Stumps had arrived in the New World, where they established themselves in the American colonies. The family prospered in the United States and today, Stumps are found in many states across the nation.
The surname Stumps has evolved over time but its general meaning has remained consistent. As a reminder of the family's original roots, the name also serves to encourage the living descendants of the Stumps family to remain true to their traditions and history.
Order DNA origin analysisStumps: Where does the name Stumps come from?
The last name Stumps is most common in the United States, where it appears to have originated. The surname is primarily found within the Census records of the United States at a rate of approximately one in every 28,000 households, making it fairly rare as far as surnames go.
The states where the name is most often recorded are Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York—all states that were part of the original colonies of the United States of America.
The highest concentrations of the name Stumps occur in Pennsylvania, where records suggest that around one in every 12,000 households are listed as having the last name Stumps.
While the surname is on the decline in the United States, it is still reasonably common in certain states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. As of 2010, records showed that nearly 6,000 individuals in the United States were still carrying the last name of Stumps.
The surname Stumps is not limited to just the United States, however. Due to the many immigrants and emigrants over the centuries, the name also appears in small numbers in Germany, Canada, Scotland, and England.
Variations of the surname Stumps
The Stumps surname is of English origin. Variant spellings of the surname include Stamper, Stampe, Stempe, Stampers, Stemp, and Stampee. The Stumps surname originated as a nickname surname from the Old English 'stumpa', meaning 'short' or 'stout'. It was also sometimes used to denote someone who lived in a small hamlet or village.
Surnames of similar origin to Stumps include Stack, Stoll, Stay, and Stubbs. Stack is derived from the Old English ‘staca’, meaning 'impaling stake', a kind of pointed post used to hold or ‘stack up’ animals or criminals. Stoll is derived from the Old German ‘stola’, meaning 'stump of a tree', and was often used to denote someone who lived in a wooded area. Stay is derived from the Middle English ‘steae’, meaning 'stump', and was often used to denote someone who lived near a stump. Stubbs is derived from the Old English ‘stuba’, meaning 'short' or 'stout', and was often used to denote someone of short stature.
Overall, Stumps is a nickname surname that originated in Old English and has since had a number of variants and surnames of similar origin appear throughout history. The variants of the surname include Stamper, Stampe, Stempe, Stampers, Stemp, and Stampee; while surnames of similar origin include Stack, Stoll, Stay, and Stubbs.
Famous people with the name Stumps
- Don Stumps: former Major League Baseball (MLB) player.
- Terry Stumps: former professional football player for the Toronto Argonauts.
- George Stumps: founder of Stumps, an event rental and party supply retailer.
- Robert Stumps: former professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox.
- Harry Stumps: famous American country music singer-songwriter.
- Chris Stumps: former professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Willie Stumps: former American blues guitarist.
- Rob Stumps: drummer for the rock band Silverstein.
- Steven Stumps: US Air Force veteran and Emmy Award-winning film sound editor.
- Sonny Stumps: alternative rock guitarist and singer/songwriter.