Locket

Locket is an English surname that originated in the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "loc" meaning "an enclosed place" or "a lock" (as in a device for securing a door or lid). It may have referred to someone who lived near a lock or sluice gate, or someone who worked as a locksmith or gatekeeper.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Locket can be found in tax rolls and parish records from the 14th century in counties like Sussex, Essex, and Kent. It was sometimes spelled as Loket, Lokat, or Lockitt in these early documents.

While the Locket surname is not mentioned in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places like Lockeridge in Wiltshire and Lockington in Leicestershire, which may have been associated with early bearers of this name.

Notable historical figures with the surname Locket include Robert Locket, a 15th-century English cleric who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex from 1437 to 1448. John Locket, born around 1520, was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Sir William Locket (1610-1675) was a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Woodstock, Oxfordshire. His son, Sir John Locket (1646-1720), was also an MP and held the position of Vice-Admiral of Munster in Ireland.

Another notable bearer of this surname was Captain Nathaniel Locket (1667-1722), an English pirate and privateer who sailed in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

While the Locket surname is not extremely common, it has persisted throughout British history and can be found in various regions of England, particularly in the southern counties.