2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Stokeling
A surname potentially derived from a place name or describing someone from a small settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Stokeling. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stokeling 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Stokeling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stokeling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stokeling
The surname STOKELING is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English words "stoc" meaning "a place" and "ling" meaning "a meadow or pasture." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or pasture.
One of the earliest known references to the name STOKELING appears in the Cambridgeshire County Court Rolls of 1273, where a Richard Stokeling is mentioned. The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1284, which record a John Stokeling.
In the 14th century, the name STOKELING appeared in various spellings, such as Stokelynge, Stokeling, and Stokelyn. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
The STOKELING surname may also have been influenced by certain place names, such as Stocklinch in Somerset, which was recorded as "Stocling" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that some individuals bearing the STOKELING surname may have originated from or been associated with this location.
One notable individual with the surname STOKELING was Sir Robert Stokeling, a 14th-century English soldier and landowner. He fought in the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Oxfordshire for his service to the Crown.
Another individual of note was John Stokeling, a 15th-century merchant and alderman of the City of London. He was active in the wool trade and served as the Sheriff of London in 1444.
In the 16th century, a prominent STOKELING was William Stokeling (c. 1520-1587), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk. He was known for his philanthropic works, including founding a grammar school in his hometown.
During the 17th century, the STOKELING surname appeared in various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire.
One notable STOKELING from this period was Thomas Stokeling (1633-1702), a clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Badby in Northamptonshire. He published several religious works and was known for his controversial views on predestination.
As the centuries progressed, the STOKELING surname continued to be found throughout England, with some variations in spelling, such as Stockling and Stoclyn. While not a particularly common surname, it has persisted through the present day, reflecting its historical roots and significance in English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stokeling
Among Census respondents with the surname Stokeling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Stokeling 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 Stokeling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.2% · 109
- White1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stokeling
Stokeling 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Stokeling 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stokeling bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Stokeling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stokeling?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Stokeling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Stokeling?
Stokeling ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Stokeling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Stokeling.
Has Stokeling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stokeling went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Stokeling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stokeling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Stokeling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stokeling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (98.2%), White (1.8%). 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 Stokeling (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 Stokeling mean?
A surname potentially derived from a place name or describing someone from a small settlement. 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 Stokeling (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 share the surname Stokeling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.