2000
#6,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,480
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Rare Last name
Stocks
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired stocks, a type of wooden restraint.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,262 Americans carry the last name Stocks. That puts it at #7,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stocks 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 Stocks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,138
Census rank
#7,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,589 bearers of the surname Stocks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stocks
The surname Stocks originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stocc," meaning a tree trunk or a log. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to a woodcutter or a forester.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the surname Stocks can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which record the name "William Stok" in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a "Richard del Stok."
The surname Stocks likely evolved from various place names that incorporated the word "stock" or its variants, such as Stockton or Stoke. For instance, in the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several locations with names like "Stochis" and "Stoche."
In the 14th century, the surname Stocks appeared in various spellings, including Stok, Stoke, and Stocke. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Sir John de Stoke, a prominent English judge who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1340 to 1341.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Stocks continued to be well-represented in various parts of England. One renowned individual with this name was Thomas Stocks (c.1564-1615), an English poet and playwright who served as the rector of Stretham in Cambridgeshire.
Another notable figure was Eleazar Stocks (1594-1672), an English Puritan minister and religious writer. He published several works, including a treatise on baptism and a commentary on the Book of Malachi.
In the 18th century, the Stocks surname gained further prominence with individuals like John Stocks (1749-1828), an English Baptist minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
Towards the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the name was Samuel Stocks (1822-1892), a prominent English clergyman and biblical scholar. He served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral and was widely recognized for his scholarly works on the Bible and theology.
Throughout its history, the surname Stocks has been associated with various professions, from foresters and woodcutters to judges, ministers, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stocks
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Stocks 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 Stocks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.5% · 3,511
- Black or African American15.0% · 688
- Two or more races4.5% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stocks
Stocks 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
#7,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,708
+228 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 202 places
2020
#7,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,589
-119 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Up 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,905 | 4,480 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,107 | 4,708 | 1.60 | +228 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 202 places |
| 2020 | #7,049 | 4,589 | 1.54 | -119 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 58 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 Stocks 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 | #7,107 | #7,049 | 0.8% |
| Count | 4,708 | 4,589 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.54 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stocks bearers went from 4,708 to 4,589 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,107 to #7,049.
FAQ
Stocks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stocks?
Name Census estimates that about 5,262 living Americans carry the surname Stocks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,138 residents.
How common is Stocks?
Stocks ranks #7,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 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 4,589 people with the surname Stocks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 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 Stocks.
Has Stocks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stocks went from 4,708 recorded bearers to 4,589. That is a decrease of 119 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,107 to #7,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Stocks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Stocks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (3,511 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stocks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.5%), Black (15.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Stocks (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 Stocks mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired stocks, a type of wooden restraint. 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 Stocks (1.54 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 Stocks?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Stocks on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.