Stearns is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

''Stierne'', which meant severe or strict. Variations include Stearn, Sterne and

Stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

. Notable people and characters with the name include:

People

Asahel Stearns Asahel Stearns (June 17, 1774 – February 5, 1839) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Born in Lunenburg in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Stearns graduated from Harvard University in 1797. He studied law, was admitted to the ...

(1774–1839), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts *

Betsey Ann Stearns Betsey Ann Stearns ( Goward; professionally known as B. A. Stearns; June 29, 1830 – February 21, 1914) was an American inventor of the long nineteenth century. She is credited with developing a " Diagram and System for Cutting Ladies' and Childre ...

(1830-1914), American inventor * Bill Stearns (1853–1898), professional baseball pitcher *

Carl Leo Stearns Carl Leo Stearns (1892-November 28, 1972) was an American astronomer. After graduating from Wesleyan University in 1917 with high honors in general scholarship and special honors in mathematics, Stearns received his PhD from Yale Universitybr>

(1892–1972), American astronomer *

Cassius Clement Stearns Cassius Clement Stearns was an American composer of church music. He was born on 23 August 1838 in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, the youngest child of Charles Stearns (1796-1874) and Rebecca Green Stearns (née Robbins) (1802–87). He married Gertr ...

(1838–1910), American composer * Charles Woodward Stearns, American writer *

Charles Thomas Stearns Charles Thomas Stearns (January 9, 1807 – May 22, 1898) was an American politician, mayor of Peoria, Illinois (1846),member of the Minnesota Territorial Council (1849–1858) representing the 3rd District from 1854–55, and had taken an active ...

, American politician *

Charlotte Champe Stearns Charlotte Champe Eliot (née Stearns; October 22, 1843September 10, 1929), was an American school teacher, poet, biographer, and social worker. She was the mother of T.S. Eliot, a famous poet, editor and literary critic, spouse of Henry Ware Eli ...

(1843–1929), social worker, poet and mother of T. S. Eliot *

Cheryl Stearns Cheryl Stearns (born 14 July 1955) is an American skydiver. She won the bronze medal in Women's Overall Individual Style and Accuracy at the XXV World Parachuting Championships in Japan in 2000. Life She received her education from Embry Ri ...

, American skydiver *

Clark Daniel Stearns Clark Daniel Stearns (January 15, 1870 – May 25, 1944) was the Naval Governor of American Samoa. Stearns commanded various vessels, on which he set up organized committees for the crew to give suggestions to the officers. He hoped to alleviate ...

(1870–1944), 9th

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since ...

Cliff Stearns Clifford Bundy Stearns Sr. (born April 16, 1941) is an American businessman and politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1989 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. On August 14, 2012, Stearns lost to veterinarian Ted Yoho ...

(born 1941), U.S. Representative from Florida *

David Stearns David Stearns (born February 18, 1985) is an American baseball executive who most recently served as the president of baseball operations for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Stearns currently holds an advisory role with the ...

, American baseball executive * Eben S. Stearns (1819–1887), American educator * Foster Waterman Stearns (1881–1956), U.S. Representative from New Hampshire *

Frank Stearns Frank Waterman Stearns (November 8, 1856, Boston – 1939) was an American businessman whose father, Richard H. Stearns had founded the R. H. Stearns department store and company in Boston. His mother was Louise M. Waterman.Cf. Who's Who ...

, close friend of Calvin Coolidge * Frank Preston Stearns (1846–1917), writer and abolitionist from Massachusetts * Frederick Kimball Stearns (1854–1924), businessman (see also

Frederick Stearns Building The Frederick Stearns Building is a manufacturing plant located at 6533 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981. ...

) *

George Luther Stearns George Luther Stearns (January 8, 1809 – April 9, 1867) was an American industrialist and merchant in Medford, Massachusetts, as well as an abolitionist and a noted recruiter of black soldiers for the Union Army during the American Civil War ...

(1809–1867), American industrialist and merchant * George McLellan Stearns (1901–1979), Canadian Member of Parliament *

Glenn Stearns Glenn Bryant Stearns (born 1963) is an American businessman, and the founder of Stearns Lending. He is the star of the Discovery Channel's show Undercover Billionaire, and subsequent founder of Underdog BBQ in Erie, Pennsylvania. Early life Stea ...

(born 1963), American businessman, founder of Stearns Lending * Guy Beckley Stearns (1870–1947), American physician specializing in homeopathy * Henry A. Stearns (1825–1910), Rhode Island industrialist and Lieutenant Governor * Howard Stearns, football coach for Eastern New Mexico University *

Jason Stearns Jason Kauahooululaunaheleonakuahiwi Stearns (born October 31, 1976) is an American writer who worked for ten years in the Congo, including three years during the Second Congo War. He first traveled to the Congo in 2001 to work for a local human ...

(born 1976), American writer, coordinator of a UN investigation into the wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo *

Jeff Chiba Stearns Jeff Chiba Stearns is a Canadian independent animation and documentary filmmaker who works in traditional and computer-based techniques. Biography Chiba Stearns was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, of European and Japanese heritage. He is a ...

, Canadian independent animation filmmaker *

John Stearns John Hardin Stearns (August 21, 1951 – September 15, 2022), nicknamed "Bad Dude", was an American professional baseball catcher and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets from 1975 to 1984 after playing a single ...

(born 1951), baseball player * John Stearns (physician) (1770–1848), US physician * John Goddard Stearns, Jr. (1843–1917), Boston architect and co-founder of the firm

Peabody & Stearns Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns J ...

Junius Brutus Stearns Junius Brutus Stearns (born Lucius Sawyer Stearns, June 2, 1810September 17, 1885) was an American painter best known for his five-part ''Washington Series'' (1847–1856). He was member of the National Academy of Design for several decades and ...

(1810–1885), American painter *

Justin K. Stearns Justin K. Stearns (born October 13, 1974) is associate professor in Arab Crossroads Studies at NYU Abu Dhabi.. The son of Stephen C. Stearns and Beverly P. Stearns and the brother of Jason Stearns Jason Kauahooululaunaheleonakuahiwi Stearns ( ...

(born 1974), American academic *

Justus Smith Stearns Justus Smith Stearns (April 10, 1845 – February 14, 1933) was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was involved in many enterprises that involved commercial real estate development, sawmills, coal, farming, railroading, and electrica ...

, (1845–1933), Michigan businessman * Katee Stearns, beauty queen from Orono, Maine *

Marcellus Stearns Marcellus Lovejoy Stearns (April 29, 1839 – December 8, 1891) was an American politician who served as the 11th Governor of Florida from 1874 to 1877 during the Reconstruction Era. Originally from Maine, he also served in the Union Army ...

(1839–1891), the 11th governor of Florida *

Marshall Stearns Marshall Winslow Stearns (October 18, 1908 – December 18, 1966) was an American jazz critic and musicologist. He was the founder of the Institute of Jazz Studies. Biography Stearns was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Edith Baker Winslo ...

(1908–1966), American jazz critic and musicologist *

Martha Stearns Marshall Martha Stearns Marshall (1726–1771) was a Separate Baptist preacher in the Southern United States. She spread the gospel alongside her husband, Daniel Marshall (1706–84), who is generally regarded as the first great Baptist leader in ...

, eighteenth-century Separate Baptist preacher *

Michael Stearns Michael Stearns (born October 16, 1948) is an American musician and composer of ambient music. He is also known as a film composer, sound designer and soundtrack producer for IMAX, large format films, theatrical films, Documentary film, document ...

(born 1948), American ambient musician * Nellie George Stearns (1855–1936), artist and art teacher *

Onslow Stearns Onslow Stearns (August 30, 1810 – December 29, 1878) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of New Hampshire. Biography Stearns was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on August 30, 1810. He attended the local ...

, American railroad builder and executive *

Ozora P. Stearns Ozora Pierson Stearns (January 15, 1831June 2, 1896) was an American politician and attorney. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a US Senator from the state of Minnesota. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served as mayor of R ...

(1831–1896), American politician *

Peter Stearns Peter Nathaniel Stearns (born March 3, 1936) is a professor at George Mason University, where he was provost from January 1, 2000 to July 2014. Stearns was chair of the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University and also served as the ...

, professor of history at George Mason University * R. H. Stearns (1824–1909), tradesman, philanthropist, and politician from Massachusetts * Richard Stearns (disambiguation), several people *

Robert Edwards Carter Stearns Robert Edwards Carter Stearns (1 February 1827, Boston – 27 July 1909, Los Angeles) was an American conchologist. Robert Stearns was passionate about natural history in his youth. Later he specialised in conchology, especially that of the We ...

(1827–1909), American conchologist *

Shubal Stearns Shubal Stearns (sometimes spelled Shubael; 28 January 1706 – November 20, 1771), was a colonial evangelist and preacher during the Great Awakening. He converted after hearing George Whitefield and planted a Baptist Church in Sandy Creek, Gui ...

(1706–1771), American evangelist and preacher *

Stephen C. Stearns Stephen C. Stearns (born December 12, 1946, in Kapaau, Hawaii and raised in Hawi, Hawaii) is an American biologist, and the Edward P. Bass Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Emeritus at Yale University. He is known for his work in lif ...

, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University *

Tim Stearns Tim Stearns (born 1961 in Huntington, New York) is an American biologist and university administrator, and is the Dean of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies, Vice President of Education, and Head of Laboratory at The Rockefeller University. S ...

, Professor of Biology at Stanford University *

Theodore Stearns Theodore Pease Stearns (1881–1935) was an American composer. Born in Berea, Ohio, he wrote a number of operas. Of these, ''The Snowbird'' was given at the Chicago Civic Opera in 1923; this work won the Bispham Memorial Medal Award. He taught mu ...

(1880–1935), American composer *

Thomas Stearns Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...

(1888–1965), British-American poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor. *

Winfrid Alden Stearns Winfrid Alden Stearns (13 July 1852 – 10 May 1909) was an American naturalist, specimen collector, and writer who took an interest in the birds of Labrador and also wrote on the birds of New England. Stearns was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ...

(1852–1909), American naturalist

Fictional characters

* Mike Stearns, a fictional character in ''1632''

People

Fictional characters

See also