2010
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Stockfisch
An occupational surname derived from the German words for "stick" and "fish", likely referring to a dried fish merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Stockfisch. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stockfisch 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Stockfisch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockfisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stockfisch
The surname "STOCKFISCH" is of German origin, believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Stock" (rod or stick) and "Fisch" (fish), suggesting a connection to the fishing or fish trade industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "STOCKFISCH" can be traced back to the regions of northern Germany, particularly in the coastal areas around the North Sea and Baltic Sea. It is possible that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for individuals involved in the fishing or fish processing industries, where the process of drying fish on racks or sticks was common practice.
In the historical records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in northern Europe during the 13th to 17th centuries, there are mentions of individuals with the surname "STOCKFISCH" engaged in the trade of dried and salted fish. This suggests that the name may have originated from the occupation of those engaged in this specific aspect of the fishing industry.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname "STOCKFISCH" was Hans Stockfisch, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Lübeck, Germany, in the mid-16th century. He was involved in the export of salted and dried fish to other parts of Europe.
Another notable figure was Johann Stockfisch (1592-1663), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from the city of Rostock, Germany. He was known for his sermons and theological writings, which influenced the religious discourse of his time.
In the 17th century, the name "STOCKFISCH" appeared in various records and documents in the regions of Mecklenburg and Pomerania, indicating the spread of the surname across northern Germany.
During the 18th century, Peter Stockfisch (1736-1809) was a respected shipbuilder and naval architect from the city of Stralsund, Germany. He was renowned for his innovative designs and contributions to the shipbuilding industry in the Baltic region.
In the 19th century, Carl Stockfisch (1822-1893) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Hamburg, Germany. He founded a successful manufacturing company that produced various products, including fishing equipment and supplies.
While the surname "STOCKFISCH" originated in northern Germany, it has since spread to other regions and countries due to migration and intermarriage. However, its historical roots remain deeply embedded in the coastal regions of northern Germany and the fishing and maritime industries that were once vital to the area's economy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stockfisch
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockfisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stockfisch 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 Stockfisch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stockfisch
Stockfisch appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-19 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,252 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 18,252 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 Stockfisch 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 | #126,018 | #144,270 | -14.5% |
| Count | 136 | 117 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stockfisch bearers went from 136 to 117 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 18,252 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #144,270.
FAQ
Stockfisch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stockfisch?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Stockfisch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Stockfisch?
Stockfisch ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Stockfisch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Stockfisch.
Has Stockfisch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stockfisch went from 136 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Stockfisch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockfisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Stockfisch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stockfisch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Black (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Stockfisch (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 Stockfisch mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German words for "stick" and "fish", likely referring to a dried fish merchant. 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 Stockfisch (0.04 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 last name Stockfisch?
See how many people have the surname Stockfisch on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.