2000
#107,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Stroke
A surname derived from the Old English 'stroc' meaning a stroke or blow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Stroke. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stroke 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Stroke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stroke
The surname "STROKE" is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "strac," which means "a blow" or "a strike." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or a physical characteristic, perhaps associated with someone who worked as a striker or had a robust, strong physique.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various historical documents from the medieval period. One notable reference appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1327, where a certain John Stroke is mentioned. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 list a William Stroke residing in the county of Hampshire.
During the 16th century, the name was occasionally spelled as "Strok" or "Stroake," reflecting the variations in spelling common in that era. One prominent individual bearing this surname was John Strok, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived from 1520 to 1589.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the surname Stroke. Among them was Sir John Stroke (1620-1683), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Gloucestershire. Another was Thomas Stroke (1645-1717), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Somerset.
In the 18th century, the name continued to appear in various records. One noteworthy individual was Captain William Stroke (1735-1801), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
As the centuries progressed, the Stroke surname became more widespread across various regions of England. Some notable place names associated with the surname include Strokestown in County Roscommon, Ireland, and Stoke-on-Trent, a city in Staffordshire, England, which may have derived from the Old English word "stoc," meaning "an outlying farm or hamlet."
Among the more prominent individuals bearing the Stroke surname in recent history was Sir Alfred Stroke (1874-1952), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the field of education and social welfare.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stroke
Among Census respondents with the surname Stroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Stroke 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 Stroke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 82
- Black or African American9.6% · 10
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stroke
Stroke 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-33 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,663 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-16 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,565 | 153 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -33 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 31,663 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 14,362 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 Stroke 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 | #139,228 | #153,590 | -10.3% |
| Count | 120 | 104 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stroke bearers went from 120 to 104 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 14,362 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #153,590.
FAQ
Stroke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stroke?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Stroke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Stroke?
Stroke ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Stroke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Stroke.
Has Stroke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stroke went from 120 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Stroke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Stroke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stroke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Stroke (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 Stroke mean?
A surname derived from the Old English 'stroc' meaning a stroke or blow. 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 Stroke (0.03 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 Stroke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.