Surname Storks - Meaning and Origin
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Storks: What does the surname Storks mean?
The last name Storks is an English/Scottish patronymic surname. It is derived from the Old English word "stirca," which means "stork." Stork is also an old Norse word, and other forms of the surname are believed to have Scandinavian origins.
Historically, a person who had the surname Storks was likely to have come from a family of stork keepers or even stork hunters. During the Middle Ages, when stork populations were much more abundant, storks were considered to be good luck. Keeping them was a significant industry throughout several European regions.
The Storks surname is also associated with an area of Norfolk, England known as "The Cradle of the Storks," which has been mentioned in old English manuscripts. This area was noted for its rich history of stork-keeping and would have been familiar to many with the Storks surname.
Those who bear the Storks surname today typically do so as a result of their forefathers having inhabited the area. The prevalence of the surname continues to be relevant in populated areas around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisStorks: Where does the name Storks come from?
The last name Storks can be found in many countries around the world, with the largest concentrations appearing in Canada, Germany, the United States, and the Netherlands.
In North America, the Storks population is mainly located in the United States and Canada. In the United States, Storks is one of the more common surnames found in the Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country. In particular, they are most prevalent in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Canada also has a substantial Storks population, mainly in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.
In Europe, the name Storks is most commonly seen in Germany and the Netherlands. In Germany, Storks is primarily concentrated in the northern and western states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria. In the Netherlands, Storks is among the top 50 most popular surnames and is mainly found in North Holland and Utrecht.
The Storks family is also well established in other parts of the world, including Russia, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Argentina. In each of these countries, Storks typically appears as a surname of Dutch, German, or Slavic origin.
Variations of the surname Storks
The surname Storks has a number of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of the most common variants include Stork, Storck, Storkes, Storches, and Storkes.
Storck is a variant often seen in German-speaking countries, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This variant is thought to have emerged due to the popularity of Lithuanian-born philologist and literary historian Johann Christoph Storck (1731–1803).
Storks and Storches are both derivatives of the French origin of the surname. It is thought that these variants originate from the French word 'estorque,' which roughly translates to "beat or strike." The surname is believed to indicate that the bearer of the name had a bellicose or battle-oriented attitude.
Storke is an English variant often found in County Devon, England. It is believed this particular variant emerged due to a combination of Old English and medieval Latin influences.
Other spellings of the surname are Storker and Stark. These variants are thought to have originated in northern Germany and Poland. It is believed the name may have been used to indicate strength or boldness.
Overall, Storks is an ancient surname with many variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. It is believed that most variants emerged due to a combination of linguistic and geographic influences.
Famous people with the name Storks
- Alexander Storks- Alexander Stork is a former German footballer. He began his playing career as a wide midfielder, but in later years was used more as a wing-back. He is best known for his years with Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he won two titles with them in the 2. Bundesliga.
- Joe Storks- Joe Stork is a former professional American football player who spent his entire career with the New York Giants from 1954 to 1963. He mainly played at defensive back, but also had stints playing professional basketball during the off-seasons.
- Dirk Storks- Dirk Stork is a German Paralympic athlete. He competed in the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics in the shot put and javelin throw events. He took home a bronze medal in the javelin throw at the 2012 games.
- Jane Storks- Jane Stork is an Australian journalist, author and screenwriter. She has worked on several news programs, magazines and books. She is best known for her 2004 book, Defiance: A True Story, about her experiences in 1993 when she was researching organ harvesting in China.
- Albert Storks- Albert Stork is a former American figure skater. He was a four-time national champion and competed in the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics. He was the bronze medalist in pairs at the 1952 games.
- Paul Storks- Paul Stork is a former professional ice hockey player for a number of National Hockey League teams. He was mostly a right winger and spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.
- Xavier Storks- Xavier Stork is a former British slalom canoeist. He competed for Great Britain in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics in both the C1 and C2 events and took home a bronze medal in the C2 at the 1992 games. He later won two world championships in the C2 in 1998 and 2002.