Stokley
Derived from a surname of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "stockaded clearing" or "stony clearing".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Stokley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Stokley today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stokley births was 2013 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stokley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Stokley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2013
7 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2013 SSA rank
#10,580
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Stokley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Stokley from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Stokley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Stokley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Stokley
The given name Stokley has its origins rooted in Old English and Germanic languages. It is derived from the Old English word "stoc," meaning "place" or "stockade," and the suffix "-ley," which signifies a clearing or meadow. Consequently, Stokley can be interpreted as "a person from the stockaded clearing."
In its early days, the name was predominantly used in regions where Old English was spoken, including parts of England and areas of modern-day Germany. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various Anglo-Saxon chronicles and manuscripts.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Stokley was Stokley of Mercia, a nobleman who lived in the 10th century and was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for his involvement in the Battle of Brunanburh in 937 AD.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Stokley. In the 16th century, Stokley Rushworth (1505-1568) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Taunton in Somerset. He is remembered for his contributions to the translation of the Bible into English.
Another prominent individual was Stokley Carmichael (1941-1998), an American civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the Black Power movement of the 1960s. He was a prominent figure in organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Black Panther Party.
In the realm of sports, Stokley Hathaway (1924-2009) was an American professional baseball player who played as an outfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns in the 1940s and 1950s.
Stokley Barnes (1889-1972) was an American actor and film producer who worked in Hollywood during the early 20th century. He is best known for his roles in silent films and for producing several Western movies.
While not as common as some other names, Stokley has maintained a presence throughout history, appearing in various contexts and carrying meanings tied to its Old English and Germanic roots.
People
Stokley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stokley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Stokley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stokley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stokley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Stokley a common name?
We classify Stokley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stokley most popular?
The single biggest year for Stokley was 2013, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stokley is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Stokley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Stokley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stokley in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Stokley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Stokley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Stokley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Stokley?
See how many Americans are named Stokley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.