NameCensus.

UK surname

Dock

A topographic surname indicating someone living near a dock or harbor.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Dock surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 198, ranked #19,713, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kings Langley, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley Ferguslie, Paisley North West and Paisley Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dock is 217 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.2%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

198

2016, ranked #19,713

Peak year

1861

217 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dock had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 198 in 2016, ranked #19,713.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Dock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dock 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 217 #11,220
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 176 #16,401
1911 historical 163 #16,939
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 176 #21,237
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 198 #19,713

Geography

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Where Docks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kings Langley, London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley Ferguslie, Paisley North West, Paisley Central, IZ06 and Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kings Langley Hertfordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire
2 Paisley North West Renfrewshire
3 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
4 IZ06 West Dunbartonshire
5 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dock

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Dock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Dock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dock is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dock is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dock falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dock

The surname DOCK is of English origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'doc,' meaning a small water-channel or the place where boats are loaded and unloaded. This suggests that the name likely originated among those residing near docks or involved in maritime activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DOCK can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1273, where a Robert de la Dok is mentioned. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also contains references to various places with names like Dockesfeld and Dockingge, indicating the name's roots in specific locations.

During the 14th century, the surname DOCK appeared in various forms, such as Dok, Dock, Dokke, and Docke, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Dock, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1315.

Notable individuals with the surname DOCK throughout history include:

1. Sir John Dock (1495-1562), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. 2. Thomas Dock (1550-1618), a renowned English navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the globe. 3. Elizabeth Dock (1680-1735), a prominent Quaker writer and preacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 4. William Dock (1715-1783), a successful merchant and landowner in Newburyport, Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the American Revolution. 5. Mary Ann Dock (1803-1887), a British philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in improving living conditions for the poor in London.

The surname DOCK has also been associated with various place names, such as Docklow in Herefordshire, England, and Docking in Norfolk, England, further reinforcing its geographical origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dock 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. Renfrewshire leads with 21 Docks recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.49x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 21 25.49x
Surrey 20 3.86x
Lancashire 19 1.51x
Durham 8 2.53x
Middlesex 8 0.75x
Hertfordshire 7 9.55x
Midlothian 7 4.92x
Cumberland 6 6.56x
Yorkshire 6 0.57x
Herefordshire 2 4.59x
Cornwall 1 0.83x
Derbyshire 1 0.60x
Kent 1 0.28x
Staffordshire 1 0.28x
Stirlingshire 1 2.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 18 Docks recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.40x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 18 120.40x
Camberwell 15 22.09x
Paisley High Church 13 198.17x
Edinburgh New North 7 564.52x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 51.09x
Kings Langley 7 1320.75x
Caldewgate 6 119.76x
Beverley Parks 5 4166.67x
Newington 4 10.19x
St George In East London 4 40.00x
Paisley Middle Church 3 62.50x
West Greenock 3 20.28x
Hereford St Owen 2 138.89x
Elland Cum Greetland 1 21.05x
Greenwich 1 5.91x
Harton 1 80.00x
Higher Booths 1 44.05x
Kirk Langley 1 400.00x
Lambeth 1 1.08x
Norton In Moors 1 52.63x
Paddington London 1 2.56x
Paisley Low Church 1 38.31x
Renfrew 1 36.76x
Shoreditch London 1 2.17x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.34x
Stirling 1 20.24x
Truro St Mary 1 99.01x
Twickenham 1 21.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Thomas 4
Robert 3
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Fredk.W.N. 1
George 1
Harris 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Lyonel 1
Moses 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Dock surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 198 in 2016. That gives Dock a modern rank of #19,713.

What does the Dock surname mean?

A topographic surname indicating someone living near a dock or harbor.

What does the Dock map show?

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