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

Locke, 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 Locke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Locke in America

Locke is the 1272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Locke surname appeared 27,643 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Locke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Locke 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 Locke

The surname Locke is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "loc," meaning an enclosure or a lock of hair. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th century and was initially used as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near an enclosure or a lock on a river or canal.

The surname Locke can be traced back to various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions individuals with the surname in counties such as Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be "Loche," found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166.

In the 13th century, the surname Locke appeared in various forms, including "de la Loke," "atte Loke," and "del Lok," indicating the locational origin of the name. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John de la Loke, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

Some notable individuals throughout history with the surname Locke include John Locke (1632-1704), an English philosopher and influential Enlightenment thinker, known for his works on natural rights, political theory, and empiricism. Another prominent figure was Matthew Locke (1621-1677), an English composer and one of the most influential figures in the Baroque era.

Other notable individuals with the surname Locke include John Locke (1805-1892), an English agriculturist and writer on rural affairs, and John G. Locke (1835-1920), an American businessman and co-founder of the Locke Insulator Manufacturing Company. William John Locke (1863-1930) was an English novelist and playwright who wrote popular novels such as "The Beloved Vagabond" and "The Fortunate Youth."

The surname Locke has also been associated with various place names, such as Locke Park in Redcar, England, and Locke Township in Ingham County, Michigan, USA. Additionally, the surname has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Lok, Loke, Locker, and Loker.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Locke

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

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 Locke 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 Locke 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 Locke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!