2000
#14,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Nokes
A variant spelling of the medieval English surname "Noke," derived from the Old English "noc," meaning "brook."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,100 Americans carry the last name Nokes. That puts it at #15,422 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,216 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nokes surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nokes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,216
Census rank
#15,422
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,831 bearers of the surname Nokes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15422nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nokes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nokes
The surname Nokes originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Middle English word 'nok', meaning a nook or corner of land. It likely emerged as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived in a secluded or remote area.
The earliest known record of the Nokes surname dates back to 1273, when William de la Noke was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was initially associated with specific locations or landmarks before evolving into a hereditary surname.
In the 14th century, the Nokes surname appeared in various documents, such as tax rolls and court records. For instance, John atte Noke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, indicating his residence in a particular 'nook' or corner.
The Nokes surname has also been linked to place names, including Noak Hill in Romford, Essex, and Noak Bridge in Chigwell, Essex. These locations may have contributed to the surname's development and spread throughout the region.
Notable individuals with the Nokes surname include Robert Nokes (1628-1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry during the 17th century. Another prominent figure was James Nokes (1670-1753), an English actor and playwright renowned for his comedic performances on the London stage.
In the 18th century, Elizabeth Nokes (1733-1781) gained recognition as a British actress and writer, known for her work in various theatrical productions. Additionally, Thomas Nokes (1767-1837) was a prominent English artist and engraver, whose works were exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Moving into the 19th century, George Nokes (1812-1868) was a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Peter in Wolverhampton and the Royal Orphan Asylum in Madeley.
Throughout its history, the Nokes surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, particularly in areas like Essex, Oxfordshire, and the West Midlands. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured and continues to be carried by individuals today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nokes
Among Census respondents with the surname Nokes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nokes bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nokes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 1,596
- Black or African American4.8% · 87
- Two or more races4.0% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nokes
Nokes appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,918
+75 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 525 places
2020
#15,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,831
-87 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,778 | 1,843 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,303 | 1,918 | 0.65 | +75 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 525 places |
| 2020 | #15,422 | 1,831 | 0.61 | -87 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nokes surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,303 | #15,422 | -0.8% |
| Count | 1,918 | 1,831 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.61 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nokes bearers went from 1,918 to 1,831 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,303 to #15,422.
FAQ
Nokes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nokes?
Name Census estimates that about 2,100 living Americans carry the surname Nokes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,216 residents.
How common is Nokes?
Nokes ranks #15,422 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,831 people with the surname Nokes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,100), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nokes.
Has Nokes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nokes went from 1,918 recorded bearers to 1,831. That is a decrease of 87 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,303 to #15,422.
What does the Census say about the background of Nokes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nokes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nokes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (1,596 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nokes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nokes (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nokes mean?
A variant spelling of the medieval English surname "Noke," derived from the Old English "noc," meaning "brook." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nokes (0.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Nokes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.