Explore the Family Name Stokes
The meaning of Stokes
English (Staffordshire and Warwickshire): variant of Stoke with plural or post-medieval excrescent -s. This name has been established in Ireland since the 14th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Stokes in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Stokes has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, falling from 510 to 542. However, the total count of individuals with this surname increased by approximately 5.03%, from 58,687 to 61,639 during the same period. Despite the increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -3.95, indicating that while the number of people bearing the Stokes surname has grown, it has not kept pace with overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #510 | #542 | -6.27% |
| Count | 58,687 | 61,639 | 5.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 21.76 | 20.9 | -3.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stokes
In relation to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some significant shifts for those bearing the Stokes surname over the decade. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races saw increases of 9.09% and 39.77% respectively from 2000 to 2010. There was also a notable 53.66% increase in the Hispanic group. In contrast, the percentage of Stokes individuals identifying as White decreased by -4.13%. Despite these changes, the most common ethnic identity among people named Stokes remained Black, which saw a modest increase of 2.59% during the decade. Lastly, the percentage of Stokes individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained fairly stable, with only a minor increase of 2.27%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60.78% | 58.27% | -4.13% |
| Black | 35.09% | 36% | 2.59% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.52% | 53.66% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.39% | 39.77% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.45% | 2.27% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.36% | 9.09% |
Stokes ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Stokes is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.5%) and Nigerian (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 19.5% |
| Nigerian | 5.1% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Stokes
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Stokes have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
What Stokes haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Stokes is R-Z278, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z278 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brown, White, Smith, Clark, Taylor, Green, Cooper, Walker, Young, Carter.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Stokes surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Stokes have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Stokes" Surname 37.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Stokes" Surname 32.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Stokes" Surname 24.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Stokes" Surname 36.5%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Stokes?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Stokes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition