NameCensus.

UK surname

Stork

An occupational surname referring to a person who hunted storks or a person with long, thin legs.

In the 1881 census there were 492 people recorded with the Stork surname, ranking it #6,854 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 451, ranked #10,791, down from #6,854 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skipsea, Halifax and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, West Dorset and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stork is 538 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.3%.

1881 census count

492

Ranked #6,854

Modern count

451

2016, ranked #10,791

Peak year

1911

538 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stork had 492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,854 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016, ranked #10,791.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 538 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Stork surname distribution map

The map shows where the Stork surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Stork surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stork over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 345 #6,823
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 492 #6,854
1891 historical 490 #7,550
1901 historical 525 #7,771
1911 historical 538 #7,408
1997 modern 468 #9,769
1998 modern 481 #9,893
1999 modern 479 #9,987
2000 modern 461 #10,231
2001 modern 450 #10,226
2002 modern 463 #10,202
2003 modern 457 #10,156
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 431 #10,558
2006 modern 438 #10,469
2007 modern 443 #10,467
2008 modern 452 #10,369
2009 modern 451 #10,649
2010 modern 464 #10,633
2011 modern 454 #10,707
2012 modern 426 #11,139
2013 modern 445 #10,928
2014 modern 452 #10,857
2015 modern 451 #10,801
2016 modern 451 #10,791

Geography

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Where Storks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skipsea, Halifax, Sheffield, Huddersfield and Sculcoates. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, West Dorset and Kingston upon Hull. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Skipsea Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 002 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 West Dorset 006 West Dorset
5 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stork

These lists show first names that appear often with the Stork surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stork

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stork, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Stork surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Stork household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Stork is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stork is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stork falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stork is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Stork, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stork

The surname Stork is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English word "storc" or "stork", which referred to the large wading bird. It is thought to have originated as a nickname for someone with a tall, stork-like appearance or gait, or perhaps someone who lived near a place frequented by storks.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Storca" and "Storce". These entries suggest the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled with variations like "Storke", "Stork", and "Storkes". In the 14th century, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a Richard Storke in Oxfordshire.

The Stork surname can also be traced to various place names in England that incorporate the word "stork", such as Storkesdale in Yorkshire and Storkeston in Leicestershire. These place names likely originated from the presence of storks in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Stork include William Stork (c. 1501-1572), an English Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Oxfordshire, and John Stork (1668-1753), a Dutch-born English artist known for his portraits and landscapes.

In the 17th century, Johannes Stork (1619-1684) was a German mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of calculus. Another mathematician, Abraham Stork (1590-1663), was a Dutch professor at the University of Leiden.

During the 18th century, William Stork (1738-1805) was a British Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, while his contemporary, William Stork (1738-1819), was a noted English engraver and artist.

While these are just a few examples, the Stork surname has a rich history spanning centuries and can be found across various parts of Europe, particularly in England, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stork families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stork surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 366 Storks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.70x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 366 7.70x
Durham 27 1.89x
Lancashire 19 0.33x
Kent 15 0.92x
Leicestershire 10 1.88x
Lanarkshire 9 0.58x
Essex 8 0.84x
Somerset 8 1.04x
Surrey 8 0.34x
Gloucestershire 5 0.53x
Devon 4 0.40x
Norfolk 3 0.41x
Flintshire 2 1.55x
Berkshire 1 0.28x
Dorset 1 0.32x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.13x
Middlesex 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 31 Storks recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.11x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 31 41.11x
Huddersfield 27 38.97x
Rastrick 17 128.69x
Ripon 14 126.93x
Skipsea 14 2121.21x
Flamborough 12 521.74x
Hunwick Helmington 12 349.85x
Nether Hallam 12 18.65x
Allerton 10 165.02x
Holy Trinity 10 8.74x
Beverley St Martin 9 113.35x
Haisthorpe 9 4500.00x
Ottringham 9 957.45x
Sheffield 9 5.94x
Thornton In Bradford 9 56.85x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 8.27x
Great Driffield 8 81.97x
Hulme 8 6.73x
Leicester St Margaret 8 6.17x
Southowram 8 55.10x
Sutton 8 147.60x
West Ham 8 3.82x
Woolwich 8 13.22x
Filey 7 182.29x
North Dalton 7 875.00x
Northowram 7 20.99x
Ashford 6 37.62x
Bridlington 6 55.10x
Everton 6 3.31x
Hipperholme Cum 6 28.71x
Newington 6 3.38x
Wold Newton 6 1176.47x
Bradford 5 4.34x
Burley In Wharfdale 5 119.05x
Eston 5 48.26x
Keighley 5 9.86x
Shadforth 5 180.51x
Soothill 5 29.10x
Stranton 5 10.40x
Walcot 5 12.15x
Barony 4 1.02x
Bewholme Nunkeeling 4 888.89x
East Ness 4 6666.67x
Govan 4 1.04x
Horfield 4 42.24x
Langtoft 4 392.16x
Middlesbrough 4 6.46x
Nafferton 4 197.04x
Pickering 4 66.78x
Throston 4 145.99x
Brightside Bierlow 3 3.22x
Hornsea 3 99.34x
Hunslet 3 4.05x
Lancaster 3 8.85x
Roos 3 340.91x
Sowton 3 447.76x
Withernwick 3 405.41x
Chapel Allerton 2 28.09x
Compton Bishop 2 219.78x
Ecclesfield 2 5.74x
Foston On Wolds 2 425.53x
Heeley 2 13.84x
Holywell 2 12.35x
Hook 2 19.12x
Horton In Bradford 2 2.69x
Lambeth 2 0.48x
Loughborough 2 8.28x
Lowthorpe 2 625.00x
Manningham 2 3.41x
Scarborough 2 4.63x
Southcoates 2 7.58x
Walsoken 2 45.05x
Wetherby 2 64.52x
Broughton In Salford 1 1.92x
Eastburn 1 2500.00x
Heworth 1 3.55x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 4.51x
Kings Norton 1 1.78x
St Ives 1 20.24x
Tormoham 1 2.37x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Stork surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 33
Sarah 21
Ann 15
Elizabeth 13
Jane 13
Alice 12
Hannah 10
Martha 8
Annie 7
Clara 7
Harriet 7
Ellen 6
Charlotte 5
Emma 5
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Fanny 4
Anne 3
Maria 3
Rachel 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Lavinia 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Bridget 1
Emly 1
Ethel 1
Harriot 1
Helen 1
Henrieta 1
Hester 1
Jemima 1
Judath 1
Julia 1
Lillah 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Stork surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 28
John 24
Thomas 19
George 18
Henry 11
James 11
Joseph 10
Charles 9
Robert 9
Harry 7
Frank 6
Samuel 6
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Fred 4
Walter 4
Allen 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Matthew 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Sam 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Aquilla 1
Benjn 1
Burton 1
Charnock 1
Ebenezor 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Granville 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Josh.Jas. 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Nicholas 1
Osmund 1
Purcy 1
Reuben 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Stork surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stork surname in 1881?

In 1881, 492 people were recorded with the Stork surname. That placed it at #6,854 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stork surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016. That gives Stork a modern rank of #10,791.

What does the Stork surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who hunted storks or a person with long, thin legs.

What does the Stork map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Stork bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.