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

Nock, 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 Nock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nock in America

Nock is the 13798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nock surname appeared 2,191 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 Nock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nock 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 Nock

The surname Nock has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word 'cnoc', meaning 'hill' or 'knoll', suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as 'Atte Nock'. This spelling variation, 'Atte Nock', implies that the name was originally a locative surname, indicating a person's place of residence or origin.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it is spelled as 'del Nok' in 1317. This variation, 'del Nok', further reinforces the locative nature of the surname, as 'del' was a common prefix used to denote 'of' or 'from'.

The Nock surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Nock, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, England, who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another was John Nock, a renowned clockmaker from Hertfordshire, England, born in 1677, whose work was highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the Nock surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Nock (1732-1804), an English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate book illustrations and satirical caricatures. His son, Robert Nock (1758-1841), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned engraver and artist in his own right.

Moving into the 19th century, the name is associated with Eliza Nock (1805-1888), a British philanthropist and activist who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class in London. She established the Nock Refuge for Destitute Children, which provided shelter and education for underprivileged children.

While the Nock surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by individuals who migrated from the British Isles in search of new opportunities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nock

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

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

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

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