Show ContentsStokels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Stokels date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Stokels family lived in the chapelry of Stockwell in Surrey. 1 2 3

The surname Stokels is derived from the Old English words stocc and wiella and the place name dates back to 1197 when it was known as Stokewell and literally meant "spring or stream by a tree stump." 4

Early Origins of the Stokels family

The surname Stokels was first found in Surrey at Stockwell, a suburban district, and a chapelry, in the parish and union of Lambeth, E. division of the hundred of Brixton. 5

And it is here that John de Stokewell was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1195-1196. Later, John de Stokwel was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Egidius de Stokwelle, Oxfordshire; and Alicia de Stokwell, Oxfordshire. Later, Elias de Stokwell was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 7

Early History of the Stokels family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stokels research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1581, 1582 and 1587 are included under the topic Early Stokels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stokels Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Stokels are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Stokels include: Stockwell, Stokewell, Stokwell and others.

Early Notables of the Stokels family

More information is included under the topic Early Stokels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stokels family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Stokels or a variant listed above: Gabriell Stockwell who settled in Bermuda in 1635; John Stockwell settled in Barbados in 1664; Marg and Rose Stockwell settled in Virginia in 1650 and 1653 respectively.



  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook