NameCensus.

UK surname

Nock

An English occupational surname referring to a notch cutter or a maker of notches or nocks in arrows.

In the 1881 census there were 1,328 people recorded with the Nock surname, ranking it #3,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,793, ranked #3,519, down from #3,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington and Rowley Regis. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nock is 2,057 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

1,328

Ranked #3,091

Modern count

1,793

2016, ranked #3,519

Peak year

1911

2,057 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nock had 1,328 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,793 in 2016, ranked #3,519.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,057 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Nock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nock 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 914 #3,020
1861 historical 742 #3,675
1881 historical 1,328 #3,091
1891 historical 1,403 #3,103
1901 historical 1,784 #2,928
1911 historical 2,057 #2,426
1997 modern 1,886 #3,193
1998 modern 1,890 #3,307
1999 modern 1,902 #3,316
2000 modern 1,897 #3,307
2001 modern 1,844 #3,321
2002 modern 1,877 #3,337
2003 modern 1,832 #3,351
2004 modern 1,833 #3,341
2005 modern 1,763 #3,435
2006 modern 1,781 #3,405
2007 modern 1,765 #3,465
2008 modern 1,769 #3,488
2009 modern 1,785 #3,531
2010 modern 1,800 #3,566
2011 modern 1,822 #3,496
2012 modern 1,775 #3,519
2013 modern 1,788 #3,553
2014 modern 1,816 #3,525
2015 modern 1,805 #3,513
2016 modern 1,793 #3,519

Geography

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Where Nocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Rowley Regis, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and Sandwell. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 032 Dudley
2 Sandwell 035 Sandwell
3 Dudley 025 Dudley
4 Dudley 006 Dudley
5 Dudley 033 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nock

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Nock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Nock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nock is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nock is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nock falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nock 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nock

The surname Nock has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word 'cnoc', meaning 'hill' or 'knoll', suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as 'Atte Nock'. This spelling variation, 'Atte Nock', implies that the name was originally a locative surname, indicating a person's place of residence or origin.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it is spelled as 'del Nok' in 1317. This variation, 'del Nok', further reinforces the locative nature of the surname, as 'del' was a common prefix used to denote 'of' or 'from'.

The Nock surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Nock, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, England, who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another was John Nock, a renowned clockmaker from Hertfordshire, England, born in 1677, whose work was highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the Nock surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Nock (1732-1804), an English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate book illustrations and satirical caricatures. His son, Robert Nock (1758-1841), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned engraver and artist in his own right.

Moving into the 19th century, the name is associated with Eliza Nock (1805-1888), a British philanthropist and activist who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class in London. She established the Nock Refuge for Destitute Children, which provided shelter and education for underprivileged children.

While the Nock surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by individuals who migrated from the British Isles in search of new opportunities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nock 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. Staffordshire leads with 522 Nocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.97x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 522 11.97x
Worcestershire 176 10.44x
Warwickshire 148 4.54x
Shropshire 104 9.32x
Middlesex 65 0.50x
Yorkshire 61 0.48x
Lancashire 39 0.25x
Suffolk 34 2.16x
Montgomeryshire 28 9.46x
Essex 27 1.06x
Cheshire 22 0.77x
Sussex 15 0.69x
Kent 12 0.27x
Wiltshire 10 0.88x
Surrey 9 0.14x
Durham 7 0.18x
Glamorgan 7 0.31x
Gloucestershire 6 0.24x
Hampshire 6 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.34x
Derbyshire 5 0.25x
Northumberland 4 0.21x
Somerset 4 0.19x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 1.60x
Lincolnshire 2 0.10x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Cumberland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rowley Regis in Staffordshire leads with 164 Nocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 134.99x.

Place Total Index
Rowley Regis 164 134.99x
West Bromwich 74 29.65x
Sedgley 67 41.38x
Tipton 66 49.44x
Aston 64 7.14x
Dudley 64 31.21x
Birmingham 63 5.80x
Kingswinford 39 24.64x
Oldbury 29 34.95x
Handsworth 23 21.41x
Hoyland Nether 23 73.27x
Harborne 21 15.03x
Wolverhampton 20 5.97x
Barrow In Furness 15 7.20x
Berriew 14 171.57x
Halesowen 14 94.53x
Ipswich St Peter 14 66.10x
Cradley 13 85.25x
West Ham 13 2.31x
Westminster St John 13 8.27x
Wednesfield 12 18.70x
Wellington 12 19.14x
Hastings St Andrew 11 141.03x
Dawley 10 24.63x
Ipswich St Clement 10 25.01x
Madeley 10 24.44x
Nether Hallam 10 5.78x
Poplar London 10 4.10x
Solihull 10 42.72x
Stourbridge 10 23.04x
Sutton Coldfield 10 29.21x
Brightside Bierlow 9 3.59x
Chetwynd 9 250.00x
Newtown 9 47.54x
Rawreth 9 616.44x
St Anne Soho London 9 12.20x
Sutton Maddock 9 523.26x
Claverley 8 106.24x
Congleton 8 16.24x
Islington London 8 0.64x
Swindon 8 9.03x
Wednesbury 8 7.34x
Donington 7 400.00x
Gradley 7 85.89x
Shifnal 7 23.11x
Worsbrough 7 18.67x
Bromley London 6 2.11x
Darlaston 6 9.96x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.77x
Mexborough 6 23.62x
Nantwich 6 18.11x
Newington 6 1.26x
Rochester St Margaret 6 12.91x
Romsley 6 327.87x
St Pancras London 6 0.58x
Stockton On Tees 6 3.24x
Wollaston 6 56.07x
Alfreton 5 8.14x
Frankley 5 757.58x
Hound 5 27.82x
Llanllwchaiarn 5 39.00x
Sheriff Hales 5 112.11x
Upperswinford 5 35.04x
Walsall Borough 5 14.78x
Warrington 5 2.75x
Wheelock 5 142.45x
Aspull 4 11.10x
Bridgnorth St Mary 4 36.76x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 4.74x
Broseley 4 20.17x
Hasbury 4 36.26x
Ipswich St Helen 4 21.45x
Kings Norton 4 2.64x
Littlehampton 4 23.02x
Penkridge 4 35.59x
Wallsend 4 6.56x
Walsall Foreign 4 1.78x
Wrockwardine 4 16.30x
Broughton In Salford 3 2.14x
Coedfrank 3 19.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 75
Thomas 60
John 55
Joseph 51
James 47
Samuel 36
George 32
Henry 29
Edward 16
Alfred 14
Arthur 13
Frederick 13
Harry 12
Benjamin 11
Charles 11
Edwin 10
Richard 7
Daniel 6
Josiah 6
Thos. 6
Walter 6
Moses 5
Albert 4
Alexander 4
David 4
Edgar 4
Francis 4
Geo. 4
Isaiah 4
Frank 3
Noah 3
Silas 3
Abraham 2
Ernest 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Job 2
Matthew 2
Richmond 2
Robert 2
Saml. 2
Sampson 2
Stephen 2
Timothy 2
Wm. 2
Benjn. 1
Benoni 1
Eli 1
Elizabeth 1
Ephraim 1

FAQ

Nock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,328 people were recorded with the Nock surname. That placed it at #3,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,793 in 2016. That gives Nock a modern rank of #3,519.

What does the Nock surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a notch cutter or a maker of notches or nocks in arrows.

What does the Nock map show?

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