NameCensus.

UK surname

Rock

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent crag, cliff, or boulder.

In the 1881 census there were 1,702 people recorded with the Rock surname, ranking it #2,527 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,903, ranked #2,321, up from #2,527 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rowley Regis, London parishes and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rock is 2,945 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.6%.

1881 census count

1,702

Ranked #2,527

Modern count

2,903

2016, ranked #2,321

Peak year

1999

2,945 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rock had 1,702 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,527 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,903 in 2016, ranked #2,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,241 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Rock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rock surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Rock 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 1,115 #2,527
1861 historical 1,453 #1,951
1881 historical 1,702 #2,527
1891 historical 1,960 #2,357
1901 historical 2,218 #2,439
1911 historical 2,241 #2,256
1997 modern 2,812 #2,293
1998 modern 2,896 #2,323
1999 modern 2,945 #2,298
2000 modern 2,874 #2,344
2001 modern 2,812 #2,341
2002 modern 2,835 #2,367
2003 modern 2,793 #2,349
2004 modern 2,774 #2,367
2005 modern 2,749 #2,358
2006 modern 2,743 #2,361
2007 modern 2,771 #2,368
2008 modern 2,801 #2,355
2009 modern 2,865 #2,354
2010 modern 2,943 #2,345
2011 modern 2,917 #2,333
2012 modern 2,844 #2,346
2013 modern 2,885 #2,356
2014 modern 2,891 #2,365
2015 modern 2,862 #2,363
2016 modern 2,903 #2,321

Geography

Back to top

Where Rocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rowley Regis, London parishes, Liverpool 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 Sandwell and Dudley. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 035 Sandwell
2 Sandwell 033 Sandwell
3 Dudley 033 Dudley
4 Sandwell 038 Sandwell
5 Dudley 018 Dudley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Rock

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Rock

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rock, 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 Rock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Rock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Rock is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Rock is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rock 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 Rock 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 Rock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rock

The surname ROCK is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'rocca' meaning a rock or boulder. It was initially used as a nickname for someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or came from a rocky area.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Rocca' and 'Rokka'. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and likely emerged in the 8th or 9th century.

In the 13th century, the surname is found in various spellings such as 'Rokke', 'Rocc', and 'Rok' in various medieval records and charters. One notable early bearer of the name was John de la Rokke, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Kent in 1293.

The surname ROCK was also derived from certain place names, such as Rock in Worcestershire and Rockhampton in Gloucestershire. William de la Rok, born around 1250, took his name from the latter location.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname ROCK. One of the earliest was Sir John de la Roche, a prominent knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

During the 16th century, the ROCK surname gained prominence with the birth of John Rock (1490-1561), an English Protestant reformer and chaplain to Thomas Cromwell. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was known for his vocal opposition to the Catholic Church.

Another notable bearer of the name was Edmund Rock (1600-1677), an English lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal matters during the reign of Charles II.

In the 18th century, James Rock (1707-1792) was a renowned English painter and engraver, best known for his landscape paintings and etchings of the English countryside.

More recently, the ROCK surname has been associated with Maria Rock (1778-1836), an English novelist and playwright, and Michael Rock (1951-2022), an American graphic designer and educator who co-founded the design firm 2x4.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Rock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rock 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 426 Rocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.60x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 426 7.60x
Lancashire 188 0.95x
Worcestershire 122 5.62x
Middlesex 119 0.72x
Yorkshire 116 0.70x
Surrey 95 1.17x
Warwickshire 68 1.62x
Durham 55 1.11x
Kent 54 0.95x
Devon 47 1.36x
Herefordshire 46 6.75x
Cheshire 38 1.04x
Angus 33 2.14x
Lanarkshire 32 0.60x
Glamorgan 28 0.97x
Hampshire 26 0.76x
Gloucestershire 24 0.74x
Shropshire 21 1.46x
Lincolnshire 19 0.72x
Essex 17 0.52x
Somerset 17 0.64x
Derbyshire 11 0.42x
Northumberland 10 0.40x
Sussex 9 0.32x
Monmouthshire 8 0.67x
Ayrshire 7 0.56x
Berkshire 7 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.70x
Channel Islands 7 1.42x
Suffolk 6 0.30x
Brecknockshire 4 1.20x
Cornwall 4 0.21x
Cumberland 4 0.28x
Hertfordshire 4 0.35x
Montgomeryshire 4 1.05x
Norfolk 4 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.13x
Royal Navy 2 1.01x
Bedfordshire 1 0.12x
Dorset 1 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.27x
Kincardineshire 1 0.49x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.42x
Leicestershire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Rutland 1 0.82x
West Lothian 1 0.40x
Wiltshire 1 0.07x

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 89 Rocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.95x.

Place Total Index
Rowley Regis 89 56.95x
West Bromwich 47 14.64x
Battersea 40 6.54x
Dudley 38 14.41x
Wolverhampton 36 8.35x
Aston 32 2.77x
Birmingham 28 2.01x
Burslem 26 16.19x
Dundee 26 4.53x
Abbots Bromley 25 300.84x
Stoke Upon Trent 24 4.04x
Evesham St Lawrence 22 190.81x
Manchester 21 2.37x
Liverpool 20 1.67x
Stone 19 26.49x
Dewsbury 17 10.07x
Govan 17 1.28x
St Pancras London 17 1.27x
Walsall Foreign 17 5.87x
Gateshead 15 4.05x
Colwich 14 105.03x
Bilston 13 11.96x
Everton 13 2.07x
Lambeth 13 0.90x
Plumstead 13 6.88x
Portsea 13 1.95x
Cannock 12 12.26x
Mile End Old Town 12 4.58x
Salford 12 2.07x
Azerley 11 280.61x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 7.03x
Bradford 11 2.76x
Cradley 11 56.07x
Woolwich 11 5.25x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 3.19x
Lewisham 10 3.31x
Newington 10 1.63x
Old Tower Without 10 1449.28x
Rhyndwyclydach 10 49.83x
Shavington Cum Gresty 10 164.74x
West Ham 10 1.38x
Ashton In Makerfield 9 16.03x
Barnsley 9 5.30x
Darlaston 9 11.61x
Great Crosby 9 16.75x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 9.33x
Oldbury 9 8.43x
Sheffield 9 1.72x
Spittlegate 9 24.50x
St Marylebone London 9 1.01x
Boston 8 9.93x
Camberwell 8 0.75x
Eastham 8 416.67x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 13.42x
Halifax 8 3.31x
Hammerwich 8 100.50x
Leintwardine 8 115.27x
Lynton 8 115.94x
Portsmouth 8 10.20x
Swansea Town 8 3.37x
Swinfen Packington 8 347.83x
Tarrington 8 281.69x
The Hill 8 57.43x
Wandsworth 8 5.00x
West Derby 8 1.39x
Widnes 8 5.63x
Barnstaple 7 12.90x
Chelmarsh 7 257.35x
Clerkenwell London 7 1.79x
Derby St Michael 7 128.21x
Fulham London 7 2.91x
Hulme 7 1.70x
Kings Norton 7 3.60x
Linthorpe 7 7.13x
Macclesfield 7 4.29x
Norton Canes 7 34.25x
Ocle Pitchard 7 432.10x
Stockport 7 3.71x
Tanfield 7 11.91x
Wolverton 7 33.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 120
Sarah 70
Elizabeth 62
Ann 38
Ellen 36
Eliza 30
Jane 25
Annie 24
Emma 19
Alice 17
Catherine 17
Martha 17
Harriet 15
Hannah 14
Emily 12
Margaret 12
Maria 12
Edith 11
Frances 11
Louisa 11
Caroline 9
Ada 8
Lucy 8
Matilda 8
Agnes 7
Charlotte 7
Clara 5
Esther 5
Fanny 5
Harriett 5
Rose 5
Anne 4
Florence 4
Kate 4
Susan 4
Georgina 3
Isabella 3
Margeret 3
Margt. 3
Myra 3
Ruth 3
Susannah 3
Amelia 2
Bridget 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 98
William 97
Thomas 80
James 65
George 48
Henry 37
Joseph 37
Edward 22
Charles 17
Michael 17
Alfred 13
Frederick 13
Richard 13
Samuel 13
Arthur 12
Patrick 11
Benjamin 10
Harry 9
Walter 8
Peter 7
Francis 6
Jas. 6
Phillip 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Albert 4
Edwin 4
Elijah 4
Hugh 4
Josiah 4
Robert 4
Thos. 4
Andrew 3
Conrad 3
Daniel 3
Isaac 3
Job 3
Owen 3
Philip 3
Simeon 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Benj. 2
Chas. 2
Cyril 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Henery 2
Timothy 2

FAQ

Rock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,702 people were recorded with the Rock surname. That placed it at #2,527 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,903 in 2016. That gives Rock a modern rank of #2,321.

What does the Rock surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent crag, cliff, or boulder.

What does the Rock map show?

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