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

Locker, 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 Locker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Locker in America

Locker is the 10987th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Locker surname appeared 2,894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Locker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Locker 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 Locker

The surname Locker has its origins in medieval England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "locc," meaning a lock or enclosure, referring to someone who lived near a lockable gate or enclosure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert le Lokker. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, with the addition and removal of letters and suffixes.

During the Middle Ages, the Locker name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in eastern England. These areas had a significant agricultural presence, and the name may have originally referred to someone responsible for securing enclosures or gates on farms or manors.

The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Locker surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as Lockeridge in Wiltshire and Lockington in East Riding of Yorkshire.

One notable historical figure with the Locker surname was Sir William Locker (1663-1751), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Midhurstand and Sevenoaks. Another prominent individual was John Locker (1693-1760), a British writer and philosopher who published works on education and natural philosophy.

In the 17th century, John Locker (1598-1685), an English goldsmith and banker, established the Locker family as a prominent mercantile and financial dynasty in London. His grandson, John Locker (1669-1720), continued the family's success in banking and was a director of the Bank of England.

Another notable figure was Edward Hawke Locker (1777-1849), a British naval officer and author who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later wrote several popular works of travel literature.

Throughout its history, the Locker surname has been associated with various professions, from agriculture and trade to military service and literature, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Locker

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

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

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

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