The Lock surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,936 people carried this name — #5,058 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,600 people counted. That is up 6% from 6,543 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Lock surname

As an English, German and Dutch surname, from the noun lock.

Also as a German surname, Americanized from Loch.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Lock» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the lock’.

An early record he cites: John Loke, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Lock and Locke.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 491 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

59 people named Lock live in Switzerland.

They live in 9 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 16
Bern 9
Thurgau 7
Vaud 7
Valais 5
Geneva 4
Lucerne 4
Schaffhausen 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 32 people named Lock.

16 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Moselle.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 16
Moselle 5
Paris 5
Pas-de-Calais 2
Allier 1
Indre 1
Nord 1
Oise 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

152 people named Lock is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 152

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Lock was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Somerset: 36 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 278. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 36
Hampshire 30
Dorset 15
Devon 13
Norfolk 11
Suffolk 11

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

155 families named Lock, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 868 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 53
Massachusetts 33
North Carolina 25
Rhode Island 9
Virginia 8
Maine 7
Vermont 7
Pennsylvania 5
Maryland 5
New York 3

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 250 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Lock in American newspapers,
1857–1875.

Newspaper page from The Daily Manchester American carrying the name Lock
The Daily Manchester American 1859-04-20
Newspaper page from Southern Sentinel carrying the name Lock
Southern Sentinel 1857-11-07
Newspaper page from Wood County Reporter carrying the name Lock
Wood County Reporter 1875-11-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,950 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Lock in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

61,548 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lock. The most, 11,091, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 17,625
New South Wales 14,672
South Australia 13,784
Queensland 8,851
Western Australia 4,489
Tasmania 1,698
ACT (Canberra) 202
Northern Territory 93

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lock.

Who carried it

People named Lock,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Henry Lock
    John Henry Lock d. 1904 · publisher
  • Nathaniel Lock d. 1749 · artist
  • George Ernest Lock d. 1906 · publisher
  • John Lock d. 1767
  • James Lock d. 1926
  • Anne Margaret Lock d. 1833

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Lock,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,242 records

1,242 records of the Lock name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 354
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 256
  • Other U.S. records 632
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edwin C. Lock

    Born 1924 in Iowa. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; farm hand. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Missouri Veterans Cemetery / Springfield, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Everard H. Lock

    Born 1912 in New Jersey. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; manager from Queens County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Delson T. Lock

    Born 1907 in Missouri. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles, California; driver. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1962, buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,242 records for Lock in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain).

Australia1,341 records

1,341 records of the Lock name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 585
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 271
  • Other Australian records 485
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Lock

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the David Clarke, sailing from Plymouth in 1841. Native of Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Horace Lock

    Died 1926 in Holy Trinity Church, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1926.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Lock

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 20.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,341 records for Lock in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands808 records

808 records of the Lock name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 523
  • Dutch population registers 207
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 78
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sijbren Lock

    Married in 1933 in Amsterdam; carpenter. Died 1968 in Tiel, aged 60.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catharina Lock

    Married in 1821 in Nijmegen; maidservant, born 1796 in Kleef, Germany. Died 1878 in Nijmegen, aged 82.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Pieter Lock

    Married in 1882 in Naaldwijk. Died 1922 in Naaldwijk, aged 60.

    Open Archives, Historisch Archief Westland (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 808 records for Lock in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany153 records

153 records of the Lock name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Emil Lock

    Born 1889; from Plau, Mecklb. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 3 January 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Mathias Lock

    From Mannheim, Bergheim. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 20 March 1916 (Fusilier Regiment No. 37).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list August Lock

    From Velbert, Mettmann. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 1 October 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 153 records for Lock in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada116 records

116 records of the Lock name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 51
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 15
  • Other Canadian records 50
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Go Lock

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Peruvian, bound for Woodstock, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Warren Cole Lock

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Arthur Lock

    Died 1965; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 116 records for Lock in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom86 records

86 records of the Lock name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 53
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 30
  • Other British records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Caroline Lock

    Buried in 1888 at Valley Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 75.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Lock

    Buried in 1799 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 38.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Lock

    Will proved in 1935; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 86 records for Lock in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand30 records

30 records of the Lock name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 28
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Lock

    Died 1982, aged 71; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mervyn Patricia Lock

    Died 1998, aged 67; buried at Whangamata Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Emily Lock

    Died 1968, aged 88; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Lock in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France10 records

10 records of the Lock name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emile Joseph Lock

    Born 1909 in Sarralbe; died 1978 in Sarralbe (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Daniel Leslie Jules Lock

    Born 1949 in Lille; died 1971 in Lille (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 10 records for Lock in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Lock name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jean Charles Lock

    Died 1809 in Gijzegem, aged 61; "bijzondere".

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Lock in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Lock.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Lock is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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