Stillman
Originally a nickname or name for a calm, quiet man, though some sources also explain it as a later form of Styleman.
The #6,307 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,059 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Most historical surname dictionaries treat Stillman as coming from the adjective still, meaning calm, quiet, or steady, plus man, so the literal sense is "quiet man" or "steady man." One source also connects it with Styleman, suggesting a possible link to the older English word stile or style, but that explanation is less secure. Overall, the name is best understood as an English descriptive surname based on temperament or character.
History
The name is recorded in England by the early modern period, and later references show it in ordinary parish and civic records. Some nineteenth-century scholars preferred to group it with other names built on still or style, which shows that the surname was already being interpreted in more than one way. It is now an established but relatively uncommon surname in the English-speaking world, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old surname lists often paired Stillman with other apparently descriptive names such as Hope, Patience, and Prudence, reflecting a Puritan-era taste for virtue-inspired naming.
From the historical record
“prietors. STILLMAN = Still (q.v.) + E. man. STILLWELL1 (Eng.) Dweller at the CoN- STILWELL Jstant Spring (one not in- termittent) [O.E. stille, constant, etc. -f w(i)ella, a spring] ItImSOn'^}^"'^ Stinson, Steenson, q.v. STINSON, V. Steenson. STIRK "[(Eng.) a nickname (or sign-name)”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)