Stokes Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Stokes last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Stokes last name
Meaning of the Stokes last name: from Stoke, "outlying settlement". Stokes comes from one of the many English places called Stoke, from an old word for an outlying farm or secondary settlement. With dozens of such places, from Stoke-on-Trent to Stoke Poges, the name arose in many counties. It is most common in the Midlands. A curious detail: the physicist George Gabriel Stokes, from County Sligo, gave his name to equations still used to describe flowing water and air.
Arms associated with the Stokes name
Animals on English shields were chosen for the qualities they stood for, such as the lion for courage, a tradition seen in arms used by Stokes families.
Get your full Stokes family history
This is only a glimpse of the Stokes story. The full Stokes history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Stokes coat of arms. Get the full Stokes report.
Stokes name FAQ
What does the Stokes name mean?
From Stoke, "outlying settlement". Common variants include Stoke, Stocks, Stoakes.
Where does the Stokes surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Stokes coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Stokes coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.