2000
#4,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,521
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.42
Rare Last name
Stocker
An occupational surname referring to a stock keeper, herdsman, or one who tended livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,078 Americans carry the last name Stocker. That puts it at #5,450 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,425 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stocker 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 Stocker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,425
Census rank
#5,450
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,172 bearers of the surname Stocker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5450th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stocker
The surname Stocker has its origins in England, where it first emerged as an occupational name in the late medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "stocc," meaning "stock" or "tree trunk." This name was initially given to those who were stockers or sellers of stock, referring to individuals involved in trading or managing livestock.
The earliest recorded mention of the Stocker surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. This historical document lists an individual named Richard le Stocker, indicating the surname's usage during that era. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which includes the name John Stocker.
The name Stocker has connections to various place names across England, such as Stockers Farm in Hertfordshire and Stocker's Green in Berkshire. These place names likely emerged from individuals bearing the Stocker surname who resided or owned land in those areas.
One notable individual bearing the Stocker surname was Nicholas Stocker (c. 1460-1535), an English priest and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1499. Another prominent figure was John Stocker (1554-1630), an English clergyman who became the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
In the 17th century, the Stocker surname gained significance in the American colonies. William Stocker (1624-1694), an early settler from England, arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 and became a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Another noteworthy bearer of the Stocker name was John Stocker (1778-1865), an English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate engravings of architectural subjects and landscapes. His work was highly regarded during the early 19th century.
Thomas Stocker (1801-1876) was an English author and academic who served as the Principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, and wrote several works on education and religion.
While the Stocker surname has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of this name found in various countries and regions. However, the historical origins of this occupational surname can be traced back to the late medieval period in England, reflecting its connection to the trade of livestock and related occupations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stocker
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stocker 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 Stocker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 5,335
- Black or African American6.7% · 411
- Two or more races3.2% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stocker
Stocker 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
#5,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,561
+40 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Down 365 places
2020
#5,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,172
-389 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,945 | 6,521 | 2.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,310 | 6,561 | 2.22 | +40 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 365 places |
| 2020 | #5,450 | 6,172 | 2.06 | -389 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 140 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 Stocker 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 | #5,310 | #5,450 | -2.6% |
| Count | 6,561 | 6,172 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.22 | 2.06 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stocker bearers went from 6,561 to 6,172 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 140 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,310 to #5,450.
FAQ
Stocker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stocker?
Name Census estimates that about 7,078 living Americans carry the surname Stocker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,425 residents.
How common is Stocker?
Stocker ranks #5,450 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,172 people with the surname Stocker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,078), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Stocker.
Has Stocker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stocker went from 6,561 recorded bearers to 6,172. That is a decrease of 389 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,310 to #5,450.
What does the Census say about the background of Stocker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) 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 Stocker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (5,335 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stocker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Black (6.7%), 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 Stocker (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 Stocker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a stock keeper, herdsman, or one who tended livestock. 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 Stocker (2.06 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 common is the surname Stocker?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Stocker at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.