NameCensus.

UK surname

Hock

Derived from a nickname for a person with a crooked leg or a limp.

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Hock surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Yoker South and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hock is 311 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.4%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1861

311 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hock had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 311 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Hock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hock 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 311 #8,151
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 88 #24,270
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Hocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Wigan, All Saints Poplar and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Yoker South, Swansea and Whisky Isles. 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 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 Yoker South Glasgow City
3 Swansea 011 Swansea
4 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute
5 Wigan 020 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hock

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

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Hock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hock 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 younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Hock is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hock is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hock 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 Hock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hock

The surname HOCK is of German origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "hocke," which referred to a small hill or mound, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or on a small hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the HOCK surname can be found in various German historical records, including church registers and tax records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is the record of a Johann HOCK, born in 1587 in the town of Worms, in the present-day state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the German state of Bavaria, with a certain Georg HOCK being mentioned in a land deed from 1642 in the town of Ingolstadt.

As the name spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Hocke, Hocken, and Hocken. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HOCK surname in the English-speaking world was Johann Wilhelm HOCK, a German-born merchant who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the mid-18th century. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War, supplying provisions to the Continental Army.

Another notable figure with the HOCK surname was Theodor HOCK (1834-1904), a German-born physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant pathology and established the first phytopathological research institute in Germany.

Other historical figures bearing the HOCK surname include:

1. Heinrich HOCK (1816-1895), a German architect known for his design of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. 2. Friedrich HOCK (1859-1936), a German composer and music educator who worked extensively in the United States. 3. Gerhard HOCK (1892-1978), a German-American physicist and inventor, known for his contributions to radar technology during World War II. 4. Joachim HOCK (1920-2004), a German naval officer and submarine commander during World War II, who later became an author and historian. 5. Hans HOCK (1921-2005), a German-American linguist and scholar of Sanskrit and Indo-European languages, who taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the HOCK surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life across different parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hock 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 23 Hocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 2.25x
Kent 22 6.30x
Staffordshire 16 4.63x
Lancashire 6 0.49x
Shropshire 6 6.78x
Essex 5 2.47x
Surrey 4 0.80x
Sussex 3 1.74x
Devon 2 0.94x
Gloucestershire 2 1.00x
Herefordshire 2 4.76x
Northumberland 2 1.31x
Warwickshire 2 0.77x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x
Berkshire 1 1.30x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.54x
Glamorgan 1 0.56x
Isle of Man 1 5.26x
Lincolnshire 1 0.61x
Oxfordshire 1 1.58x
Suffolk 1 0.80x
Worcestershire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ramsgate in Kent leads with 12 Hocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 210.53x.

Place Total Index
Ramsgate 12 210.53x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 163.40x
Poplar London 10 51.73x
Deptford St Paul 7 25.97x
Clerkenwell London 5 20.68x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 81.97x
Shifnal 5 208.33x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 10.91x
Upminster 4 952.38x
Shoreditch London 3 6.76x
Aston 2 2.81x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 29.85x
Byker 2 26.56x
Hackney London 2 3.48x
Halling 2 434.78x
Kingswinford 2 15.94x
Lambeth 2 2.24x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 9.70x
Walford 2 476.19x
Brighton 1 2.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.18x
Clewer 1 31.75x
Ealing 1 10.93x
Edgmond 1 103.09x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 77.52x
Frampton 1 322.58x
Halifax 1 6.71x
Hanley Castle 1 125.00x
Holy Trinity 1 4.10x
Horsted Keynes 1 250.00x
Ipswich St Clement 1 31.55x
Lezayre 1 117.65x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 50.00x
Lydd 1 133.33x
March 1 46.08x
Northam 1 64.52x
St Clement Danes London 1 47.17x
St Luke London 1 6.09x
Thakeham 1 526.32x
Thame 1 86.96x
West Ham 1 2.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Hannah 3
Bridget 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Abbertina 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Elizebth 1
Fannie 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hellen 1
Iatharina 1
Isabella 1
Lillian 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Prudent 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1
Wanda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
John 6
George 4
Benjamin 3
James 3
Edward 2
Patrick 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Austin 1
Charles 1
F. 1
Frangott 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Niels 1
Philip 1
Premins 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Hock surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Hock a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Hock surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a person with a crooked leg or a limp.

What does the Hock map show?

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