Hock
A short surname with several possible roots, including a nickname or a reduced form of older names beginning with Hock- or Hoc-.
The #7,061 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,150 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is not straightforwardly explained from the excerpts, and it may have more than one origin. In English records it can appear as a short form or reduced spelling of older names beginning with Hock- or Hoc-, and it may also overlap with German and Dutch surnames based on similar sounds. In some cases it may come from a personal name or nickname rather than a place-name or occupation.
History
The name is found in medieval English records, including examples in Devon, and later turns up in several English regions. The broad spread of similar forms in English, German, and Dutch sources suggests that some modern bearers may have unrelated origins despite sharing the same spelling. Because the excerpts do not give a single clear derivation, the safest reading is that Hock is a compact surname with multiple possible historical sources.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A medieval bearer named Alphred Hock is recorded in Devon in 1273.
From the historical record
“in the West Riding, and has come down through some junior or in- dependent Hock. Brummett and Bromet are veiy natural corrup- tbns; cf. Birkelt for Birkhead, q.v., or Beckett for Beckhead, q.v, Broomhead means the topmost reach or ' head of the broom,' from”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances