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

Story, 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 Story surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Story in America

Story is the 1867th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Story surname appeared 19,218 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Story.

We can also compare 2010 data for Story 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 Story

The surname STORY originated from Scotland and traces its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "storian," meaning to narrate or recount stories. The name likely referred to a storyteller or minstrel who entertained people with tales and narratives.

The earliest recorded instance of the STORY surname appears in the ancient Scottish cartularies and charters from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It was often spelled as "Storie" or "Storye" in these medieval records.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is no mention of the STORY surname. However, the name appears in various other historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Ragman Rolls, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the STORY surname was Sir Alan Story (c. 1240-1305), a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England in the late 13th century.

Another notable figure in history with the STORY surname was William Story (c. 1495-1570), an English scholar, lawyer, and ecclesiastical judge who served as a diplomat for King Henry VIII and was later appointed as the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford.

In the 16th century, John Story (c. 1504-1571), an English Roman Catholic martyr, was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is remembered as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales canonized by the Catholic Church.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Samuel Story (1622-1696) was a prominent Puritan and Member of Parliament who supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the literary world, William Wetmore Story (1819-1895), an American sculptor, art critic, and poet, gained recognition for his works in the 19th century, including his famous sculpture "The Angel of Grief."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the STORY surname, which has its origins in the ancient storytelling tradition and has been carried on by families across generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Story

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

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

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

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