2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ock
An Anglicized form of the German surname Ochs, meaning "ox" or "cattle herder."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Ock. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ock 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Ock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ock, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ock
The surname Ock originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "occa," meaning "a small amount" or "a little one." This name likely referred to a person of small stature or a child.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ock can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Roger Ock, who lived in Oxfordshire in the year 1273. Records also show a John Ock residing in the same county during the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Ock appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a William Ock was listed. Additionally, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1334 mentioned a Thomas Ock.
During the 15th century, the name Ock was found in various parts of England. One notable individual was John Ock, a clergyman and theologian who lived from around 1420 to 1484. He was a professor at the University of Cambridge and played a significant role in the debates surrounding the authority of the Pope during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the surname Ock appeared to have spread to other regions of England. Records from this era include a Richard Ock, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1521, and a William Ock, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in the records of the city in 1587.
Over the centuries, the surname Ock has undergone various spellings, including Ocke, Oke, and Oake. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors in historical records.
Notable individuals with the surname Ock throughout history include:
1. Roger Ock (13th century), one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname, from Oxfordshire.
2. John Ock (c. 1420-1484), a clergyman and theologian from the University of Cambridge.
3. Richard Ock (born 1521), from Gloucestershire.
4. William Ock (16th century), a merchant from London.
5. Thomas Ock (18th century), a prominent landowner and businessman from Yorkshire.
While the surname Ock may not be as common today, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it was likely derived from the Old English word "occa," referring to a small person or child. The name has left its mark in various historical records over the centuries, reflecting the lives and contributions of individuals who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ock
Among Census respondents with the surname Ock, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ock 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 Ock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander80.4% · 86
- White12.1% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ock
Ock 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,490 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,490 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 Ock 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 | #143,149 | #151,639 | -5.9% |
| Count | 116 | 107 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ock bearers went from 116 to 107 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,490 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #151,639.
FAQ
Ock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ock?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Ock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Ock?
Ock ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Ock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ock.
Has Ock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ock went from 116 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Ock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ock, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (80.4%), White (12.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Ock (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 Ock mean?
An Anglicized form of the German surname Ochs, meaning "ox" or "cattle herder." 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 Ock (0.04 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 common is the surname Ock?
Want to know how many people have the surname Ock? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.