STOKES

The surname Stokes is of strictly English origin and is found throughout the British Isles. It is associated with the Old English word stocc, meaning “a tree trunk” or “a post.” Consequently the name was originally applied to those who lived near a prominent tree, a boundary marker, or a hill or mound that served as a landmark or clearing in an otherwise wooded area.

Another possible derivation recognises Stokes as a locational name. It is recorded as the plural form of many places called Stoke – for instance, in Somerset, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the name as Stoches; the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206 record it as Stokes. The placenames themselves derive from the pre‑7th‑century Old English stocc, interpreted as “the place of the stump‑clearings.”

In addition to these locational meanings, the surname is associated with the medieval occupation of a stoker or stokere – a person who stoked fires in domestic or industrial settings. Thus the name may have developed independently in several contexts before converging on the common spelling Stokes.

Early documentary evidence of the name appears from the late eleventh century. In the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire, a Cnut de Stock is recorded in 1166; in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire an Ailwin de Stokes appears in 1195. London Church Records include a christening of Benjamin Stokes at St. Peter's, Cornhill, on 18th June 1570, and the marriage of Anna Stokes to Lott Arnold at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, on 18th January 1579.

The earliest known spelling of the name is that of Ricerus de Stochas, dated 1086 in the Geld Roll of the Domesday Book, during the reign of King William I, also known as “The Conqueror.” A heraldic escutcheon granted to a Stokes family consists of a silver field with a blue chevron bearing three silver trefoils; a red border is bezantee. This coat of arms provides further evidence of the name’s long-established presence in English society.

Typical given names associated with the Stokes surname

Male

• Andrew
• Christopher
• David
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Richard
• Robert

Female

• Christine
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Helen
• Jane
• Julie
• Margaret
• Mary
• Nicola
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Stokes in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Did you know?

According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Stokes are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Malted milk biscuit.

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Stokes

• Ben Stokes - Cricketer
• Oliver Stokes - Actor
• Demi Stokes - Football player
• Bobby Stokes - Football player (1951 to 1995)
• Chris Stokes - Professional football player
• Doris Stokes - Psychic (1920 to 1987)
• Donald Stokes, Baron Stokes - Businessman (1914 to 2008)
• Martin Stokes - American ethnomusicologist
• Richard Stokes - Politician (1897 to 1957)
• Jack Stokes - Animation director (1920 to 2013)
• Adrian Stokes - Art critic (1902 to 1972)
• Marianne Stokes - Austrian artist (1855 to 1927)
• Frederick Stokes - Rugby union football player and cricketer (1850 to 1929)
• Stuart Stokes - Steeplechaser
• Alfie Stokes - Football player (1932 to 2002)
• Lennard Stokes - Rugby union football player and cricketer (1856 to 1933)
• Arthur Stokes - Cyclist (1875 to 1949)
• Pringle Stokes - Naval officer (1793 to 1828)
• Tony Stokes -  football player
• Kathleen Stokes - Sprinter (1916 to 2003)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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