NameCensus.

UK surname

Tock

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Tock.

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Tock surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 209, ranked #19,009, down from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Luddington and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tock is 209 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.5%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

209

2016, ranked #19,009

Peak year

2016

209 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tock had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016, ranked #19,009.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tock 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 190 #18,687
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 194 #18,554
2001 modern 184 #18,907
2002 modern 193 #18,713
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 185 #19,402
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 192 #19,730
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 209 #19,009

Geography

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Where Tocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Luddington, Clee, Winterton and Bottesford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull and North Lincolnshire. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Luddington Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Clee Lincolnshire
4 Winterton Lincolnshire
5 Bottesford Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire
3 Kingston upon Hull 033 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 027 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tock

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Tock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tock is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Tock is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tock 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 Tock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tock

The surname Tock originated in Germany, emerging in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "tocke," meaning a small bundle or package. Initially, the name was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked as packers or bundlers of goods.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "Tocke" in medieval German records and manuscripts. One notable example is found in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a 15th-century world history book, where a "Hans Tocke" is mentioned as a merchant in the city of Augsburg.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it evolved into various spellings, such as "Tock," "Tocke," and "Tockler." Some of these variations became associated with specific locations, like the town of Tockstadt in Bavaria, which likely influenced the adoption of the surname by local residents.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johann Tock, a prominent merchant born in Cologne in 1412. Another notable figure was Hieronymus Tock, a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who lived from 1498 to 1564.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with Gottfried Tock, a German composer and organist born in Halberstadt in 1633. His contributions to sacred music were significant during the Baroque period.

As the name spread across Europe, it also appeared in other countries. In England, the earliest record of the surname dates back to the 16th century, with William Tock, a merchant from London, mentioned in the city's guild records in 1582.

Another remarkable individual bearing the name was Johanna Tock, a Dutch painter and engraver active in the late 17th century. Her still-life paintings and etchings of flowers and insects were highly regarded during her lifetime.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tock 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. Lincolnshire leads with 68 Tocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.00x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 68 40.00x
Yorkshire 37 3.51x
Cornwall 1 0.83x
Midlothian 1 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.70x
Sussex 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Althorpe in Lincolnshire leads with 13 Tocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Althorpe 13 3333.33x
Burringham 13 6500.00x
Great Grimsby 10 92.68x
Garthorpe 6 3000.00x
St Mary 6 857.14x
Thorne 6 458.02x
Belton 5 724.64x
Appleby 4 2000.00x
Barnsley 4 36.80x
Long Drax 4 6666.67x
Sutton 4 333.33x
Winterton 4 689.66x
West Halton Gunness 3 6000.00x
Barrow On Humber 2 202.02x
Burton Upon Stather 2 909.09x
Dewsbury 2 18.52x
Great Driffield 2 92.59x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 125.00x
Newland 2 2000.00x
Scawby 2 357.14x
Acomb 1 181.82x
Coleby West Halton 1 1111.11x
Dodworth 1 91.74x
East Retford 1 80.65x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 27.62x
Holy Trinity 1 3.95x
Horkstow 1 1000.00x
Lezant 1 370.37x
Messingham 1 243.90x
Ulceby 1 243.90x
Upper Helmsley 1 3333.33x
West Tarring 1 370.37x
York St Michael Le 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 9
William 9
James 7
John 6
Thomas 5
Henry 3
Mark 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Tom 1
Vason 1

FAQ

Tock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Tock surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016. That gives Tock a modern rank of #19,009.

What does the Tock surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Tock.

What does the Tock map show?

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