Surname Stöke - Meaning and Origin
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Stöke: What does the surname Stöke mean?
The last name Stöke is an occupational surname of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word "stuoc," meaning "a stake, post, or pole" and is related to the English word "stake". This suggests that Stöke may have originally been an occupational name for someone who worked with poles, such as a carpenter, a builder, or a woodworker.
The surname Stöke may have come about as early as the 13th century, when surnames began to be adopted in parts of Europe. This is seen in the use of Stöcke and Stöckener place names featured in the records of this period, particularly those in the region of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Germany.
The surname Stöke is also present in the records of many European countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. As such, it may even trace its origin back to Central Europe.
Today, the name Stöke is common in Germany, where variations of surname spelling includes Steeck, Stöcker, Stohke, and Steike. Alternate spellings of the name Stöke can also be found in other parts of Europe and the Americas, where immigrants from Germany may have taken the name with them when they moved.
Despite the wide geographical dispersal of the surname Stöke, its meaning remains the same. It suggests an origin in the skilled manual labor that was and still is necessary for the development of building and construction and pays respect to the individuals who performed this work.
Order DNA origin analysisStöke: Where does the name Stöke come from?
The surname Stöke is most commonly found in Germany today and is associated with numerous distinct regions, regions including the Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt regions. It is also quite commonly found within the city of Berlin. The Stöke surname has its origins in Germanic countries, where it held positions of social and political importance, with families bearing the title of freiherr, or baron.
Stöke appears to date back to the early Middle Ages, with evidence of its use in the Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, or German Genealogical Records, which document lineages from around the year 1700. There are also records that show its use as far back as the 17th century in Thuringia. Those of the Stöke family have likely had connection to the Protestant Reformation since it took place, as the Stöke’s are of the Lutheran denomination.
It is not known exactly why the name has been so persistently present in Germany, as many other families of European nobility have faded away, their surnames being no longer in use. It could be due in part to the fact that the Stöke family retained personal connections, family honor and respect to the German government during successive unstable regimes. It is still a very popular name in Germany to this day.
Variations of the surname Stöke
The surname Stöke is an Germanic name derived from the occupation of someone who runs a brewery or tavern. It originates from the Old German stocken, meaning ‘to tap the keg’. Variants of the surname Stöke include Stoeck, Stoecke, Stoecker, and Stöcker.
Spelling variants of the surname Stöke include Stöke, Stoecke, Stoeke, Stoeck, Stoecker, and Stöcker. Surnames of the same origin are Gruetzmacher, Krug, Krueger, Thurm, Trager, and Uebele.
The surname is most common in central Germany and its various spellings are found in the modern German telephone directory. In the United States, the surname Stöke is found mainly in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
Variations of the surname Stöke can be also found in other German-speaking countries such as Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. In addition, the surname is found in the Netherlands, South Africa, and other countries with migrant populations from Germany.
The surname is also listed in the archives of Ellis Island, indicating that immigrants bearing the name Stöke came through Ellis Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The earliest instances of the name in the records are from the middle 19th century.
Famous people with the name Stöke
- Tom Stöke: German surfboard shaper, professional surfer, influencer and coach.
- Maximilian Stöke: German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party.
- Helmut Stöke: German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union.
- Rainer Stöke: Former German professional football player.
- Claus Stöke: German actor and voice actor.
- Johann Stöke: German painter and printmaker.
- Bettina Stöke: German model and actress.
- Rembrandt Stöke: German composer and musician.
- Maria Stöke: German doctor and pilot.
- Konrad Stöke: German sculptor.
- Hermann Stöke: German composer and organist.
- Karl Stöke: German architect.
- Gottlieb Stöke: German geologist.
- Ernst Stöke: German industrialist.
- Christian Stöke: German figure skater.
- Wilhelm Stöke: German baker and spice merchant.
- Frank Stöke: German entrepreneur and software developer.
- Klaus Stöke: German journalist and photographer.
- Richard Stöke: German banker and judge.
- Andreas Stöke: German poet and writer.