Find out how popular the last name Stockdale is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Stockdale.

Stockdale, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Stockdale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stockdale in America

Stockdale is the 7717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stockdale surname appeared 4,301 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Stockdale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stockdale to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Stockdale

The surname Stockdale is of English origin, derived from a place name located in the county of Yorkshire. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The root of the name Stockdale can be traced back to the Old English words "stocc" meaning a tree trunk or wooden post, and "dæl" meaning a valley or dale. This suggests that the name likely referred to a valley or area where tree trunks or wooden posts were prevalent, perhaps indicating a forested region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Stockdale can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, a collection of records from the late 13th century. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "de Stokdal," reflecting the locative prefix "de" which was commonly used to indicate a place of origin.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Stockdale. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as "Stochelie" and "Stocton," which may have been early precursors to the modern surname.

One notable historical figure with the surname Stockdale was Sir William Stockdale (1586-1658), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. He fought on the Royalist side and was knighted for his service to King Charles I.

Another individual of note was John Stockdale (1749-1814), an English publisher and bookseller who was known for his legal battles against censorship and the freedom of the press. He published works by notable authors such as Thomas Paine and William Godwin.

In the literary world, Percival Stockdale (1736-1811) was an English poet, writer, and clergyman who published several works, including "The Remonstrance" and "Lectures on the Truly Eminent English Poets."

The surname Stockdale has also been associated with notable figures in the military and exploration. Thomas Stockdale (1781-1847) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a hydrographer, publishing several nautical charts and maps.

Frank Stockdale (1826-1902) was an English-born American surveyor and explorer who was involved in surveying and mapping expeditions in the western United States, including the Grand Canyon region.

While the surname Stockdale has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries with historical ties to the British Empire. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the geographic regions of Yorkshire, where it likely emerged as a locative name reflecting the local landscape and settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stockdale

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Stockdale.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stockdale was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Stockdale has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Stockdale was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stockdale, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!