2000
#2,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,479
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.63
Uncommon Last name
Stock
An occupational surname referring to a person who managed a livestock farm or worked with timber.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,154 Americans carry the last name Stock. That puts it at #2,843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,216 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stock 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 Stock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,216
Census rank
#2,843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,343 bearers of the surname Stock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stock, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stock
The surname "STOCK" has its origins tracing back to ancient Germany and the Low Countries regions of Europe during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "stoc" or "stok", meaning a tree trunk or log. This name was likely originally given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a prominent tree stump or log.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "STOCK" appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a landowner named Radulfus de Stoc in the county of Essex, England. This suggests that the name had already been established and was in use by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johannes Stock, a German friar and theologian who lived from around 1260 to 1349. He was a prominent figure in the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) and authored several theological works.
The name "STOCK" was also found in various place names and toponyms throughout Europe, such as Stockbridge in Hampshire, England, and Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. These place names likely contributed to the spread and establishment of the surname in different regions.
Another prominent individual with the surname "STOCK" was Sir Matthew Stock (c. 1520-1598), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1570. He was a wealthy textile trader and played a significant role in the growth of the city's mercantile activities.
During the 17th century, Simon Stock (c. 1165-1265) was a notable English Catholic saint and Carmelite friar. He is credited with receiving the Carmelite habit and the Scapular of Our Lady from the Blessed Virgin Mary, which became a significant devotion in the Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, Christian Stock (1672-1738) was a German engraver and publisher known for his intricate copperplate engravings and illustrations. His work significantly contributed to the development of printmaking and book illustration during the Baroque period.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "STOCK" has been carried by numerous individuals across various fields, including academics, artists, clergymen, and merchants. Its enduring presence in historical records and its widespread distribution across Europe attest to its longstanding legacy and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stock
Among Census respondents with the surname Stock, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stock 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 Stock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 11,310
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 428
- Two or more races3.2% · 391
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 102
- Black or African American0.5% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stock
Stock 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
#2,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,722
+243 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 4.31
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#2,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,343
-379 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,657 | 12,479 | 4.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,832 | 12,722 | 4.31 | +243 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #2,843 | 12,343 | 4.13 | -379 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 11 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 Stock 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 | #2,832 | #2,843 | -0.4% |
| Count | 12,722 | 12,343 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.31 | 4.13 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stock bearers went from 12,722 to 12,343 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,832 to #2,843.
FAQ
Stock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stock?
Name Census estimates that about 14,154 living Americans carry the surname Stock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,216 residents.
How common is Stock?
Stock ranks #2,843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,343 people with the surname Stock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,154), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Stock.
Has Stock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stock went from 12,722 recorded bearers to 12,343. That is a decrease of 379 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,832 to #2,843.
What does the Census say about the background of Stock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stock, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Stock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (11,310 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Stock (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 Stock mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who managed a livestock farm or worked with timber. 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 Stock (4.13 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 people have the surname Stock?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.