Explore the Family Name Lock
The meaning of Lock
1. English: topographic name for someone who lived near an enclosure, a place that could be locked, Middle English loke, Old English loca. Middle English loke also came to be used to denote a barrier, in particular a barrier on a river which could be opened and closed at will, and, by extension, a bridge. The surname may thus also have been a metonymic occupational name for a lock-keeper. 2. English, Dutch, and German: nickname for a person with fine hair, or curly hair, from Middle English loc, Middle High German lock(e) ‘lock (of hair), curl’. Compare Lok. 3. Americanized form of German Loch. 4. Chinese: variant of Lok.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lock in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lock has seen a slight decrease in rank from 4935 in 2000 to 5058 in 2010. This represents a 2.49% drop. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people bearing the name increased by 6.01%, rising from 6543 individuals in 2000 to 6936 in 2010. The proportion of the surname Lock per 100k people also saw a minor decline of 3.29%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,935 | #5,058 | -2.49% |
| Count | 6,543 | 6,936 | 6.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.43 | 2.35 | -3.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lock
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Lock, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a few shifts over the decade. In 2000, the majority (78.30%) of individuals with this surname identified themselves as White. This percentage dipped slightly to 76.33% by 2010. Asian/Pacific Islander and Black communities saw modest growths of 5.16% and 0.37% respectively. The most significant increases were seen in the Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with rises of 56.19% and 27.14% respectively. Those identifying with two or more races also increased, moving from 1.65% to 1.96%. Some of this data was suppressed in the 2000 and 2010 censuses for privacy concerns.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.3% | 76.33% | -2.52% |
| Black | 10.82% | 10.86% | 0.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.59% | 6.93% | 5.16% |
| Hispanic | 1.94% | 3.03% | 56.19% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 1.96% | 18.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.7% | 0.89% | 27.14% |
Lock 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 Lock is British & Irish, which comprises 45.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.7%) and Chinese (7.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.9% |
| French & German | 24.7% |
| Chinese | 7.1% |
| Other | 22.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Lock
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 Lock have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
What Lock 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 Lock is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-P179 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Winter, Lang, Smith, Beck, Thompson, George, White, Muller, Bowers, Schumacher.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lock surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Lock 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.
"Lock" Surname 34.7%
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.
"Lock" Surname 34.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lock" Surname 19.7%
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.
"Lock" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lock?
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 Lock are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition