UK surname
A German surname derived from the word "Koch," meaning cook or chef.
In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Kock surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 44, ranked #35,224, down from #28,285 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and Beckenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kock is 114 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.8%.
1881 census count
38
Ranked #28,285
Modern count
44
2016, ranked #35,224
Peak year
1911
114 bearers
Map years
1
1911 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Kock surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Kock surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 10 | #31,497 |
| 1861 | historical | 31 | #30,058 |
| 1881 | historical | 38 | #28,285 |
| 1891 | historical | 24 | #32,320 |
| 1901 | historical | 53 | #28,271 |
| 1911 | historical | 114 | #21,064 |
| 1997 | modern | 25 | #35,261 |
| 1998 | modern | 27 | #35,148 |
| 1999 | modern | 29 | #35,031 |
| 2000 | modern | 20 | #35,915 |
| 2001 | modern | 19 | #35,866 |
| 2002 | modern | 18 | #36,067 |
| 2003 | modern | 20 | #35,915 |
| 2004 | modern | 24 | #35,697 |
| 2005 | modern | 32 | #35,191 |
| 2006 | modern | 27 | #35,746 |
| 2007 | modern | 39 | #35,097 |
| 2008 | modern | 42 | #34,994 |
| 2009 | modern | 42 | #35,148 |
| 2010 | modern | 43 | #35,233 |
| 2011 | modern | 47 | #34,989 |
| 2012 | modern | 40 | #35,369 |
| 2013 | modern | 39 | #35,483 |
| 2014 | modern | 41 | #35,396 |
| 2015 | modern | 42 | #35,322 |
| 2016 | modern | 44 | #35,224 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel, Beckenham and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | St Mary Whitechapel | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 4 | Beckenham | Kent |
| 5 | Brighton | Sussex |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Kock surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kock, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Kock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Kock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Kock is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Kock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Kock is believed to have originated in Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle Dutch and Middle Low German word "kok," which means "cook" or "chef." The name likely referred to someone who worked as a cook or was associated with cooking or food preparation.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kock can be found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Breviarium Grimbergense," a 14th-century manuscript from the Grimbergen Abbey in Belgium, which mentions a person named "Henricus Kock."
In the 15th century, the name Kock appeared in several historical records from various regions of Germany and the Netherlands. For instance, the "Lübecker Ratslinien" (Lübeck Council Lines) from 1470 mentions a person named "Hermann Kock," who was a member of the city council in Lübeck.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Kock became more widespread across Europe. One notable bearer of this surname was Hieronymus Kock (1516-1590), a German physician and botanist who contributed to the study of medicinal plants.
In the 18th century, the name Kock was found in various places, including the Netherlands and Germany. One prominent figure with this surname was Christian Wilhelm Kock (1737-1808), a German painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
The 19th century saw the rise of several individuals with the surname Kock, such as Paul de Kock (1793-1871), a French novelist and playwright known for his comedic works, and Charles-Paul de Kock (1794-1871), a French novelist and dramatist who wrote under the pseudonym "Paul de Kock."
Other notable individuals with the surname Kock include Johan Kock (1739-1808), a Swedish statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1792 to 1800, and Karl Rudolf Kock (1806-1890), a German architect and professor who designed several buildings in Berlin.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kock surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 17 Kocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.87x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 17 | 3.87x |
| Middlesex | 11 | 2.97x |
| Essex | 5 | 6.84x |
| Devon | 1 | 1.30x |
| Fife | 1 | 4.56x |
| Flintshire | 1 | 10.04x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.79x |
| Sussex | 1 | 1.60x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 9 Kocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 172.74x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Warrington | 9 | 172.74x |
| Kensington London | 6 | 29.14x |
| Heaton Norris | 4 | 160.00x |
| Hornsey | 3 | 64.10x |
| Wanstead | 3 | 234.38x |
| Toxteth Park | 2 | 13.44x |
| Walthamstow | 2 | 76.05x |
| Brighton | 1 | 7.94x |
| Burntisland | 1 | 163.93x |
| Exeter St Leonard | 1 | 476.19x |
| Holywell | 1 | 80.00x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 3.75x |
| Minster In Sheppey | 1 | 47.85x |
| St Martin In Fields | 1 | 45.05x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 3.35x |
| Wavertree | 1 | 70.92x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kock surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kock surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kock households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 3 |
| Iron Worker | 2 |
| A B | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Clerk | 1 |
| Commercial Shipping Clerk | 1 |
| Cook Dom | 1 |
| Cotton Broker | 1 |
| Domestic Serv | 1 |
| Fustian Cutter | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Income From Husband Abroad | 1 |
| Labourer In Ironworks | 1 |
| Sailor | 1 |
| Stationer Teacher Of Languages | 1 |
| Teacher Of Music | 1 |
| Waiter | 1 |
| Workwoman (Artz) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Kock surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 44 in 2016. That gives Kock a modern rank of #35,224.
A German surname derived from the word "Koch," meaning cook or chef.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kock bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.