2000
#2,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.64
Uncommon Last name
Mock
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of mockado, a woolen cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,275 Americans carry the last name Mock. That puts it at #2,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mock 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 Mock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 19,841
Census rank
#2,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,065 bearers of the surname Mock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mock, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mock
The surname MOCK has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "moc," which referred to a mocking or derisive person, or someone who engaged in mockery or teasing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where it appears as "Robert le Mock." This suggests that the name was used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a mocking or satirical personality.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Mokke" and "Moke," further reinforcing its connection to the Old English word "moc." The presence of the name in medieval records indicates that it was an established surname during this period.
The MOCK surname is also associated with several place names, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. For instance, the village of Mock Beggars in Gloucestershire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting that the MOCK family may have had connections to the area.
One notable bearer of the MOCK surname was John Mock (c. 1499-1560), an English Protestant reformer and martyrologist who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I. His account of the persecution of Protestants is recorded in John Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
Another figure of historical significance was Thomas Mock (1619-1692), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Greenford in Middlesex. He was known for his controversial writings on religious topics and his opposition to the Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, the MOCK surname gained further recognition with Sir Godfrey Mock (1732-1807), a prominent British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.
Towards the end of the 19th century, John Mock (1861-1944), an English cricketer, made a name for himself as a right-handed batsman who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
The MOCK surname has also been associated with various locations and place names throughout England, such as Mock Beggar Hall in Gloucestershire, Mock Beggar's Hill in Worcestershire, and Mock Beggar's Bank in Somerset, further reflecting the historical presence and significance of this surname in different regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mock
Among Census respondents with the surname Mock, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mock 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 Mock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 12,393
- Black or African American6.7% · 1,003
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 620
- Two or more races3.7% · 558
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 434
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 57
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mock
Mock 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
#2,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,847
+639 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 5.37
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#2,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,065
-782 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 5.04
Rank movement Down 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,194 | 15,208 | 5.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,301 | 15,847 | 5.37 | +639 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #2,361 | 15,065 | 5.04 | -782 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 60 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 Mock 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 | #2,301 | #2,361 | -2.6% |
| Count | 15,847 | 15,065 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.37 | 5.04 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mock bearers went from 15,847 to 15,065 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,301 to #2,361.
FAQ
Mock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mock?
Name Census estimates that about 17,275 living Americans carry the surname Mock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,841 residents.
How common is Mock?
Mock ranks #2,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,065 people with the surname Mock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,275), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Mock.
Has Mock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mock went from 15,847 recorded bearers to 15,065. That is a decrease of 782 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,301 to #2,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Mock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mock, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (12,393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (6.7%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mock (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 Mock mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of mockado, a woolen cloth. 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 Mock (5.04 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 Americans have the surname Mock?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.