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

Stockfish, 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 Stockfish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stockfish in America

Stockfish is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stockfish surname appeared 107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Stockfish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stockfish 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 Stockfish

The surname Stockfish has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern coastal regions of Germany, where the stockfish, a type of dried and salted fish, was a staple food item.

The name is derived from the German words "Stock" meaning "stick" or "dried," and "Fisch" meaning "fish." It likely referred to someone who worked with or traded in stockfish, a preserved fish product that was an important source of protein and a valuable commodity in those times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stockfish can be found in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. In the 14th century, a merchant named Hans Stockfish is mentioned in the league's records, indicating the name's usage during that era.

The Stockfish surname is also found in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as tax records, court proceedings, and church registers from the northern German states and the Netherlands. This suggests that the name had spread across these regions, possibly due to the trade of stockfish and the migration of people involved in the industry.

One notable bearer of the Stockfish name was Johann Stockfish, a German theologian and preacher who lived from 1525 to 1597. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and served as a minister in the city of Lübeck, a major Hanseatic trading center.

Another individual with the Stockfish surname was Peter Stockfish, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the 17th century. He was involved in the lucrative stockfish trade between the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries, and his name appears in various commercial records from that time.

In the 18th century, a family of Stockfishs settled in the German town of Oldenburg, where they became successful merchants and landowners. One member, Heinrich Stockfish (1720-1789), was a prominent businessman and served as a local magistrate.

The name Stockfish can also be found in some historical records from the British Isles, likely due to the migration of German and Dutch traders and settlers. For instance, there are records of a William Stockfish, a merchant from Hamburg who lived in London in the late 17th century and was involved in the import of stockfish and other goods.

Over the centuries, the Stockfish surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Stockfisch, Stockvisch, and Stockfysch, reflecting regional dialects and language shifts. However, the core meaning and origin have remained consistent, rooted in the historical trade and production of stockfish in northern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stockfish

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

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 Stockfish 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 Stockfish 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 Stockfish was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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