NameCensus.

UK surname

Bock

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a male goat or derived from a short form of the name Burckhard.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Bock surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Cheshire West and Chester and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bock is 196 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.4%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

2013

196 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bock had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 171 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Bock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bock 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 150 #18,328
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 173 #19,935
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 165 #20,634
2007 modern 176 #20,028
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 171 #21,337
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 196 #19,790
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 186 #20,576
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Bocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, St Mary Islington and Fulham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Cheshire West and Chester, Amber Valley, Worthing and Newport. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Fulham London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
2 Cheshire West and Chester 025 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
4 Worthing 001 Worthing
5 Newport 010 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bock

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bock, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Bock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Bock is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bock is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bock falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Bock

The surname Bock is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "boc" meaning a male goat or ram. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who exhibited traits reminiscent of a goat, such as a stubborn or aggressive personality. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for a goat-herd or someone who worked with goats or rams.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bock can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hartmann Bock, a merchant who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 13th century.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Bock appeared in numerous historical records and documents across Germany. In the 1381 tax rolls of the city of Augsburg, several individuals with the surname Bock are mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region.

One notable individual with the surname Bock was Hieronymus Bock, a German botanist and physician who lived from 1498 to 1554. He was also known as Hieronymus Tragus, and his works on plant life and herbal medicine were highly influential during the Renaissance period.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Karl August Bock, a German architect who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Altes Museum.

In the 19th century, the surname Bock was also found in other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia. One notable Dutch figure with this name was Jan Bock, a painter who lived from 1833 to 1915 and was known for his landscapes and seascapes.

The name Bock has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Bockenheim, a district in Frankfurt am Main, and Böckingen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg. These place names likely derived from the German word "boc" or variations of it, further emphasizing the name's connection to goats or rams.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bock 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. Middlesex leads with 35 Bocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.70x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 35 3.70x
Surrey 14 3.04x
Essex 11 5.89x
Lanarkshire 10 3.27x
Kent 8 2.48x
Lancashire 6 0.53x
Staffordshire 3 0.94x
Devon 2 1.02x
Dorset 2 3.22x
Yorkshire 2 0.21x
Herefordshire 1 2.58x
Lincolnshire 1 0.66x
Northumberland 1 0.71x
Stirlingshire 1 2.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 10 Bocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.22x.

Place Total Index
Govan 10 13.22x
Fulham London 9 65.60x
Islington London 9 9.82x
West Ham 9 21.83x
Egham 6 212.01x
Plumstead 6 55.76x
Streatham 5 71.23x
Toxteth Park 4 10.52x
Hackney London 3 5.66x
Kingswinford 3 25.88x
St George In East London 3 33.71x
Ealing 2 23.67x
Lambeth 2 2.42x
Leyton 2 62.11x
Linthorpe 2 35.78x
St Peters 2 134.23x
Bermondsey 1 3.55x
Chelsea London 1 3.51x
Falkirk 1 12.24x
Great Grimsby 1 10.42x
Hulme 1 4.27x
Kensington London 1 1.90x
Ledbury 1 75.19x
Limehouse London 1 9.63x
Melcombe Regis 1 38.91x
Membury 1 476.19x
Mile End Old Town London 1 4.97x
St Martin In Fields 1 17.67x
St Marylebone London 1 1.98x
St Olave Hart Street 1 1250.00x
Tormoham 1 12.00x
Twickenham 1 24.63x
Tynemouth 1 13.26x
Upholland 1 69.44x
Weymouth 1 84.75x
Whitechapel London 1 10.73x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
John 4
Arthur 2
Carl 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Jasper 2
Theodore 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Beny. 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.A. 1
George 1
Gustave 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Ivor 1
Mathias 1
Nicholas 1
Oscar 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Bock surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Bock a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Bock surname mean?

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a male goat or derived from a short form of the name Burckhard.

What does the Bock map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bock 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.