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

Medlock, 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 Medlock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Medlock in America

Medlock is the 5427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Medlock surname appeared 6,416 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Medlock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Medlock 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 Medlock

The surname Medlock is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name in Lancashire, England, where the Medlock river flows. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "mēd" and "lōc," meaning "meadow stream" or "meadow enclosure."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Medlock can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Medeloc," indicating its usage during the Norman period.

In the 13th century, the name Medlock was documented in various legal and administrative records, such as the Assize Rolls of Lancashire and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. These records often referred to individuals who lived near the Medlock river or in the vicinity of the area known as Medlock.

One notable individual with the surname Medlock was John Medlock, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Chester during the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the city's government and was instrumental in developing trade relations with neighboring regions.

Another historical figure with the Medlock surname was William Medlock, a Puritan minister who lived in the 17th century. He served as the vicar of St. Bartholomew's Church in London and was known for his fervent preaching and support for the Puritan movement.

In the 18th century, the name Medlock gained recognition through the works of Samuel Medlock, a renowned English poet and satirist. Born in 1738, Medlock's poetry often criticized the social and political issues of his time, earning him both praise and criticism from his contemporaries.

The Medlock surname also has connections to the Industrial Revolution in England. James Medlock, born in 1785, was a pioneering engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of textile machinery, particularly in the cotton industry.

Throughout history, the Medlock surname has been associated with various places in England, such as Medlock Vale in Manchester, Medlock Bridge in Cheshire, and the village of Medlock near Woodhouse in Yorkshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Medlock, Medlocke, and Medlok.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Medlock

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Medlock, 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!