2000
#2,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.82
Uncommon Last name
Stockton
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Stockton in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,479 Americans carry the last name Stockton. That puts it at #2,780 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stockton 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 Stockton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,673
Census rank
#2,780
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,626 bearers of the surname Stockton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2780th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stockton
The surname Stockton is of English origin, deriving from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the late 11th or early 12th century, with the earliest known records dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented lands and estates across England.
The name is thought to have originated from the town of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "stocc" meaning "tree trunk" or "log," and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This likely refers to a settlement or enclosure surrounded by tree trunks or logs, perhaps serving as a defensive barrier.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Stockton was Robert de Stockton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early record is of William de Stockton, who was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname began to spread beyond its original locale, with records of individuals named Stockton appearing in various parts of England. This was likely due to migration and the establishment of new settlements.
One notable figure with the surname Stockton was Sir John Stockton, who lived in the late 15th century and was a member of the English gentry. He served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1472 and 1478.
Another prominent individual was Richard Stockton (1730-1781), an American lawyer, jurist, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was a delegate from New Jersey to the Continental Congress and played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, Frank Stockton (1834-1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known for his short story "The Lady or the Tiger?" and his novel "The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine."
Sir Ralph Stockton (1859-1936) was a British army officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of Malta from 1910 to 1915, during a crucial period of World War I.
Throughout its history, the surname Stockton has maintained a strong connection to its English roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, politicians, writers, and military leaders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stockton
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stockton 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 Stockton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 10,245
- Black or African American8.1% · 1,020
- Two or more races4.9% · 624
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 556
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stockton
Stockton 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
#2,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,306
+291 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 4.51
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#2,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,626
-680 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Down 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,552 | 13,015 | 4.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,709 | 13,306 | 4.51 | +291 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #2,780 | 12,626 | 4.22 | -680 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 71 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 Stockton 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 | #2,709 | #2,780 | -2.6% |
| Count | 13,306 | 12,626 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.51 | 4.22 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stockton bearers went from 13,306 to 12,626 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,709 to #2,780.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stockton
FAQ
Stockton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stockton?
Name Census estimates that about 14,479 living Americans carry the surname Stockton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,673 residents.
How common is Stockton?
Stockton ranks #2,780 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,626 people with the surname Stockton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Stockton.
Has Stockton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stockton went from 13,306 recorded bearers to 12,626. That is a decrease of 680 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,709 to #2,780.
What does the Census say about the background of Stockton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stockton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Stockton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (10,245 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stockton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Black (8.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Stockton (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 Stockton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Stockton in England. 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 Stockton (4.22 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 Stockton?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Stockton at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.