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

Phok, 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 Phok surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phok in America

Phok is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phok surname appeared 210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Phok.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phok 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 Phok

The surname PHOK is believed to have originated in the region of East Anglia, England, during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "phoc," which means "a bag or pouch." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who made or carried bags or pouches as part of their trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PHOK can be found in the Norfolk Pipe Rolls of 1275, where a certain Roger Phok is mentioned as a taxpayer. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, which list a John Phok among the inhabitants of the village of Saxmundham.

The PHOK surname is also believed to have connections to the village of Foxton, near Cambridge, which was formerly known as "Phokestone" or "Phokestune" in ancient records. This place name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "phoc" and "tun," meaning "bag or pouch settlement."

One notable bearer of the PHOK surname was Sir William Phok, a wealthy landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the Chancery Rolls of 1388 as owning several manors and estates in Norfolk and Suffolk. Another historically significant figure was Robert Phok, a merchant and alderman of the City of London who served as Sheriff in 1451.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the PHOK family were involved in the English Civil War. One such individual was Captain Thomas Phok, who fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was killed in battle at Marston Moor in 1644. Another was Major William Phok, a Royalist officer who was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

In the realm of literature, the PHOK surname is mentioned in the works of the renowned English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare. In his play "Henry VI, Part 2," one of the minor characters is referred to as "Phok, an armourer in London."

Throughout history, the PHOK surname has also been recorded with various spelling variations, such as Phocke, Phockes, Phokke, and Phokkes, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during earlier periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phok

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

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

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

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