Explore the Family Name Hancock
The meaning of Hancock
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Hann + the hypocoristic suffix -cok, which was commonly added to personal names (see Cocke). 2. Dutch: from Middle Dutch hanecoc ‘winkle, periwinkle’ (a type of shellfish), probably a metonymic occupational name for someone who gathered and sold shellfish. History: Thomas Hancock, the uncle of Declaration of Independence signatory John Hancock (1736/7–93), was among the foremost of 18th-century American businessmen. He was a descendant of Nathaniel Hancock, who was known to have been in Cambridge, MA, as early as 1634. Born in Braintree, MA, John Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress and the first governor of the state of MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hancock in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Hancock has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Hancock was ranked as the 625th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped to 681st place, a change of -8.96%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual number of people with the Hancock surname increased from 49,330 in 2000 to 50,558 in 2010, indicating a rise of 2.49%. The proportion of Hancocks per 100,000 people also dropped slightly from 18.29 to 17.14 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #625 | #681 | -8.96% |
| Count | 49,330 | 50,558 | 2.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 18.29 | 17.14 | -6.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hancock
The ethnicity of individuals with the Hancock surname has also experienced some shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the overwhelming majority of Hancocks identified themselves as White (88.67%), followed by Black (7.61%). The percentages of those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native were all below 2%. By 2010, there was a small decrease in the percentage of White Hancocks, down to 87.33%, while the percentage of Black Hancocks saw a minor increase to 7.65%. The biggest percentage increase was seen amongst those identifying as Hispanic, up from 1.41% to 2.23%. Meanwhile, the percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native Hancocks all saw increases but remained below 2%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.67% | 87.33% | -1.51% |
| Black | 7.61% | 7.65% | 0.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.41% | 2.23% | 58.16% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.7% | 21.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.61% | 8.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.48% | 33.33% |
Hancock ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Hancock is British & Irish, which comprises 59.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Scandinavian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.3% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Scandinavian | 3.6% |
| Other | 14.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Hancock
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Hancock have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 91.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.10% |
What Hancock haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Hancock is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z278 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Reed, Sanders, Clark, Roe, Dickson, Hardy, Mason, Gray, Martin, Carey.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hancock surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Hancock have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Hancock" Surname 43.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Hancock" Surname 24.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hancock" Surname 24.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Hancock" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hancock?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Hancock are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition