Surname Stoker - Meaning and Origin

Resurrecting My Past: Uncovering Ancestral Origins and Gleaning Surprising Insights on Stoker Family Name with iGENEA DNA Analysis

Embarking on an exploration of my family roots with iGENEA provided surprising insights into the history of my surname Stoker. The analysis traced my ancestry to western Europe and expanded my understanding of the meaning, cultural relevance, and regional variants of the Stoker name.

Q. Stoker

Stoker: What does the surname Stoker mean?

The last name Stoker is of Anglo-Saxon origin and indicates an occupational heritage. The term "stoker" was generally used in medieval times to denote someone who had the job of stoking (fueling and tending) fire, specifically large furnaces in public baths or even in royal households. It might have also referred to someone who made or sold stokes or stocks (part of a domestic spinning wheel). Additionally, the Stoker surname is common in Ireland and there it might have also been derived from the Gaelic O’Stocker, which means "descendant of Stocaire." To sum up, whether of English or Irish origins, the surname Stoker implies a person's lineage linked to professions related to fire or spinning tools management. One of the most famous people with this last name is Bram Stoker, the Irish author best known for his 1897 gothic novel "Dracula".

Stoker: Where does the name Stoker come from?

The last name Stoker is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. According to the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales, Stoker was the 880th most common surname in 2017, with a population of 5,437 people. Furthermore, it was the 77th most common surname in Northern Ireland’s 2018 Census, being given to 2,058 individuals. There are other pockets of Stoker populations around the world; e.g., in Ireland, USA and Australia, suggesting that the name has spread across the globe since its 15th century origin.

The name Stoker is believed to have derived from an old English personal name ‘Stocca’, which was a short form of names beginning with ‘Stoc’ meaning ‘a tree trunk’. In its earliest recorded form, the name was apparently found in the spellings ‘Stokere’ and ‘Stokarr’. Those who bear the name Stoker today likely hail from Rome in Yorkshire, England, where a family of the same name held lands during the 11th century. In some counties such as Gloucestershire, the surname is concentrated around the towns of Stroud and Painswick.

Variations of the surname Stoker

The surname Stoker is a habitational surname which comes from a place name Stoker in North Somerset, England. It is derived from the Old English word "stoc" which means "a tree trunk or post".

The variants of the surname Stoker include Stoke, Stokere, Stoker, and Stokker.

Spellings of the name can include Stoker, Stokker, Stokor, and Stoiker.

Surnames of the same origin include Stocker, Stoiker and Stookey.

Stoker is also a common Dutch surname. In Dutch, the name is spelled as "Stoker" and is derived from either "stoker" which means "stoker of furnaces" or "Stokerij" which means "place of coal stores".

The surname Stoker is also common in German-speaking countries and it is derived from the Yiddish word "Stoker" which means "traveler". It is spelled as "Stocker" in German. There are also variants of the name such as Stockerl, Stokerl, Stuckart and Stackhorst.

In Ireland, the surname Stoker is derived from the old Gaelic name "O’Stuacair" which is derived from the Gaelic word "Stuacair" which means "crier". It is also found in Irish records as "Starker" and "Sterker".

Other surnames and spelling variations are Stocker, Starker, Shtoker, Stockor, and Stockard.

Famous people with the name Stoker

• Bram Stoker: Bram Stoker (8 November 1847– 20 April 1912) was an Irish author, best known today for writing the Gothic horror novel, Dracula. Stoker also wrote the horror novels The Snake's Pass, The Jewel of Seven Stars, and The Lady of the Shroud, and the fantasy novels The Watter's Mou' and The Lady of the Shard.
• Dacre Stoker: Dacre Stoker is an author and great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker, best known for writing the novel Dracula the Un-Dead, a sequel to Bram's original novel.
• Abner Stoker: Abner Stoker is an American producer who wrote and produced many documentaries and films in the 1990s and 2000s. He is the founder of Stok Zoom Productions.
• Tennessee Stoker: Tennessee Stoker is a composer and music director who wrote and directed the musicals "Romp & Roar," "The Beast of Bruinwood," and "Cinderella: A Fairytale Rocker" as well as providing the orchestral scores for various video games.
• Derrick Stoker: Derrick Stoker is an American novelist who wrote the sci-fi/fantasy novel "Ctrl-Z: A Novel about Artificial Intelligence and the Singularity".
• Alexa Stoker: Alexa Stoker is an American songwriter and producer who work with artists such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and many more.
• Walter Stoker: Walter Stoker (1845–1917) was an English composer, best known for his works in the Edwardian Music Hall, including the popular songs "Where the Bee Sucks" and "Princess Ida".
• Christina Stoker: Christina Stoker is an American actress who has had roles in various TV series and films, including "Dexter," "General Hospital," and "Insidious: Chapter 2".
• Hartley Stoker: Hartley Stoker was a British songwriter and musical producer in the 1980s and 1990s. He wrote for artist such as George Michael and Bryan Adams.

Other surnames

StokeStökeStökelStokenburyStokesStokesbaryStokesberryStokesbury