2000
#7,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,296
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Stockdale
Derived from a place name meaning "tree trunk valley," likely referring to a person who lived in such a dale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,809 Americans carry the last name Stockdale. That puts it at #7,610 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,274 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stockdale 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 Stockdale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,274
Census rank
#7,610
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,194 bearers of the surname Stockdale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7610th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stockdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stockdale 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 Stockdale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 3,382
- Black or African American11.5% · 484
- Two or more races3.7% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stockdale
Stockdale 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
#7,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,301
+5 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 554 places
2020
#7,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,194
-107 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,163 | 4,296 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,717 | 4,301 | 1.46 | +5 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 554 places |
| 2020 | #7,610 | 4,194 | 1.40 | -107 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 107 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 Stockdale 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 | #7,717 | #7,610 | 1.4% |
| Count | 4,301 | 4,194 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.40 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stockdale bearers went from 4,301 to 4,194 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,717 to #7,610.
FAQ
Stockdale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stockdale?
Name Census estimates that about 4,809 living Americans carry the surname Stockdale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,274 residents.
How common is Stockdale?
Stockdale ranks #7,610 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,194 people with the surname Stockdale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Stockdale.
Has Stockdale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stockdale went from 4,301 recorded bearers to 4,194. That is a decrease of 107 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,717 to #7,610.
What does the Census say about the background of Stockdale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stockdale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (3,382 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stockdale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stockdale (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 Stockdale mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "tree trunk valley," likely referring to a person who lived in such a dale. 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 Stockdale (1.40 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 Stockdale?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.