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

Stoker, 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 Stoker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stoker in America

Stoker is the 5082nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stoker surname appeared 6,888 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Stoker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stoker 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 Stoker

The surname Stoker originates from England and has its roots dating back to the 13th century. It derives from the Old English word "stoker," which referred to a person who stoked or tended fires, particularly furnaces or kilns. The name likely arose as an occupational surname given to those engaged in this trade.

In the medieval period, the Stoker surname was concentrated in the English counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire, where various spellings like Stokar, Stokere, and Stokker were found in historical records. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "le Stokere."

The Stoker surname is notably absent from the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, it makes an appearance in later historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a John le Stoker is listed.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Stoker surname was Walter le Stoker, who lived in Stafford, England, in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Stoker, a resident of Derbyshire mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332.

The Stoker surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Stokesby in Norfolk was once known as "Stokere's by," suggesting a connection to an early Stoker family residing in the area.

Notable individuals with the Stoker surname include:

1. Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author best known for his Gothic horror novel "Dracula."
2. John Stoker (c. 1635-1704), an English Puritan minister and author of several religious works.
3. Thomas Stoker (1753-1818), an English civil engineer who designed and constructed several notable bridges in the late 18th century.
4. Sir Ralph Stoker (1782-1865), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Knight Bachelor.
5. Sir Keith Stoker (1900-1983), a British diplomat and ambassador to several countries in the mid-20th century.

The Stoker surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name for those tending fires and furnaces. While the name may have modest beginnings, it has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries, including renowned authors, engineers, and military figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stoker

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

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

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

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