Find out how popular the last name Bock is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bock.

Bock, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bock in America

Bock is the 2691st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bock surname appeared 13,382 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Bock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bock to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bock

The surname Bock is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "boc" meaning a male goat or ram. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who exhibited traits reminiscent of a goat, such as a stubborn or aggressive personality. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for a goat-herd or someone who worked with goats or rams.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bock can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hartmann Bock, a merchant who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 13th century.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Bock appeared in numerous historical records and documents across Germany. In the 1381 tax rolls of the city of Augsburg, several individuals with the surname Bock are mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region.

One notable individual with the surname Bock was Hieronymus Bock, a German botanist and physician who lived from 1498 to 1554. He was also known as Hieronymus Tragus, and his works on plant life and herbal medicine were highly influential during the Renaissance period.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Karl August Bock, a German architect who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Altes Museum.

In the 19th century, the surname Bock was also found in other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia. One notable Dutch figure with this name was Jan Bock, a painter who lived from 1833 to 1915 and was known for his landscapes and seascapes.

The name Bock has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Bockenheim, a district in Frankfurt am Main, and Böckingen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg. These place names likely derived from the German word "boc" or variations of it, further emphasizing the name's connection to goats or rams.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bock

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bock.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bock was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bock has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bock was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bock, please contact us.

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