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Lock Family History

Lock Surname Meaning

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. 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. Americanized form of German Loch. Chinese: variant of Lok.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Lock family from?

You can see how Lock families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lock family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lock families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 220 Lock families living in Ontario. This was about 45% of all the recorded Lock's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Lock families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lock surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Lock ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Lock. 24% of Lock men worked as a Farmer and 40% of Lock women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lock were Fireman and Dressmaker.

View Census Data for Lock | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Labourer
    19%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Fireman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    40%
  • Clerk
    27%
  • Servant
    20%
  • Dressmaker
    14%

What Lock family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 249,000 census records available for the last name Lock. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lock census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Lock

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Lock. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Lock immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Lock. For the veterans among your Lock ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lock military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lock family history

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What is the average Lock lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Lock life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Lock in 1943 was 46, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lock

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lock ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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