2000
#5,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,013
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.23
Rare Last name
Medlock
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by a lake or stream lock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,654 Americans carry the last name Medlock. That puts it at #5,753 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,511 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medlock surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Medlock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,511
Census rank
#5,753
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,803 bearers of the surname Medlock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5753rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medlock
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Medlock bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Medlock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 3,607
- Black or African American27.5% · 1,598
- Two or more races5.9% · 340
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 181
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medlock
Medlock appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,416
+403 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 91 places
2020
#5,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,803
-613 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 326 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,336 | 6,013 | 2.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,427 | 6,416 | 2.18 | +403 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 91 places |
| 2020 | #5,753 | 5,803 | 1.94 | -613 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 326 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Medlock surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,427 | #5,753 | -6.0% |
| Count | 6,416 | 5,803 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.18 | 1.94 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medlock bearers went from 6,416 to 5,803 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 326 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,427 to #5,753.
FAQ
Medlock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medlock?
Name Census estimates that about 6,654 living Americans carry the surname Medlock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,511 residents.
How common is Medlock?
Medlock ranks #5,753 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,803 people with the surname Medlock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Medlock.
Has Medlock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medlock went from 6,416 recorded bearers to 5,803. That is a decrease of 613 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,427 to #5,753.
What does the Census say about the background of Medlock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Medlock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (3,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medlock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.2%), Black (27.5%), Two or More Races (5.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Medlock (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Medlock mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by a lake or stream lock." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Medlock (1.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Medlock?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Medlock on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.