2000
#13,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,052
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Stocking
An occupational surname for one who made stockings or socks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,301 Americans carry the last name Stocking. That puts it at #14,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stocking 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 Stocking with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,959
Census rank
#14,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,007 bearers of the surname Stocking in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocking, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stocking
The surname STOCKING is of English origin, derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of stockings, which were knitted or woven coverings for the leg. The name can be traced back to the late 13th century, when trade and craft guilds were forming in England.
The name is believed to have originated in the Midlands region of England, particularly in areas like Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, where the hosiery industry was prevalent. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Leicestershire from 1327, which mentions a John le Stockinger.
During the medieval period, surnames derived from occupations were common, as they helped distinguish individuals who shared the same given name. The STOCKING surname likely referred to someone who specialized in the production or sale of stockings, which were a valuable commodity at the time.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a William Stokkyng was mentioned in 1437. The spelling variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistencies in recording names during that era.
One notable bearer of the STOCKING surname was Sir Samuel Stocking (1660-1717), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1705. He was born in London and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, a livery company in the City of London.
Another prominent figure was Richard Stocking (1766-1844), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Shropshire and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy, commanding several ships throughout his career.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the STOCKING surname was William Stocking, who was born around 1605 in England and emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. He settled in the town of Middletown, Connecticut, and his descendants can be traced throughout New England.
Other notable individuals with the STOCKING surname include Joseph Stocking (1789-1880), an American politician and judge from New York, and Caroline Cynthia Stocking (1861-1935), an American educator and author who wrote extensively on child development and psychology.
While the STOCKING surname may not be as common today as it was in the past, it continues to hold a rich history and connection to the textile and clothing industries that were once vital to the economies of England and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stocking
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocking, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Stocking 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 Stocking surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 1,723
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 101
- Black or African American4.6% · 92
- Two or more races3.2% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stocking
Stocking 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
#14,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,111
+59 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 642 places
2020
#14,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,007
-104 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,573 | 2,052 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,215 | 2,111 | 0.72 | +59 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 642 places |
| 2020 | #14,339 | 2,007 | 0.67 | -104 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 124 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 Stocking 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 | #14,215 | #14,339 | -0.9% |
| Count | 2,111 | 2,007 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.67 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stocking bearers went from 2,111 to 2,007 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,215 to #14,339.
FAQ
Stocking surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stocking?
Name Census estimates that about 2,301 living Americans carry the surname Stocking. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,959 residents.
How common is Stocking?
Stocking ranks #14,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,007 people with the surname Stocking. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,301), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Stocking.
Has Stocking become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stocking went from 2,111 recorded bearers to 2,007. That is a decrease of 104 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,215 to #14,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Stocking?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocking, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Stocking in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (1,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stocking appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (4.6%). 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 Stocking (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 Stocking mean?
An occupational surname for one who made stockings or socks. 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 Stocking (0.67 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 Stocking?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.