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

Stokes, 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 Stokes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stokes in America

Stokes is the 542nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stokes surname appeared 61,639 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Stokes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stokes 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 Stokes

The surname Stokes is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "stoc," meaning a place or a hamlet. The name was initially used to identify someone who lived in or near a stockaded village or hamlet.

One of the earliest known records of the name Stokes appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Stoc" in various counties across England. The Domesday Book was a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror.

In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as Stok, Stokke, and Stokys, were found in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Stokes was Sir John Stokes, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the late 14th century. He served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1370 to 1388.

Another notable figure was Adrianus Stokes, a Dutch-born English clergyman and academic who lived from 1591 to 1672. He was an influential figure in the Church of England and served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

In the 16th century, the name Stokes was associated with several notable individuals, including John Stokes, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 during the Marian Persecutions in England.

The 17th century saw the rise of Thomas Stokes, an English physician and botanist who lived from 1635 to 1683. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and was one of the founding members of the Royal Society.

In the 18th century, Whitehead Stokes, an English doctor and writer, gained recognition for his work on hygiene and public health. He lived from 1763 to 1838 and was a influential figure in the field of medicine.

The surname Stokes has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Stoke-on-Trent, Stokenchurch, and Stoke Poges, all of which are derived from the Old English word "stoc."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stokes

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

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

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

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