Contents [hide]

Bock History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Bock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Bock

What does the name Bock mean?

The story of the Bock family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The Bock name comes from a place named by these Vikings and was used by a family who lived in a place noted for the presence of a ridge that formed a boundary between two distinct areas. It comes from a variant of the word boak or balk, of the same meaning. While historians generally agree upon the aforementioned topographical derivation, most believe that this name actually came from the area called Boak in the parish of Kirkholm. 1

Another source claims the name is "probably a variant of boak, a northern form of balk, a ridge (as a boundary.)" (Weekley)

Early Origins of the Bock family

The surname Bock was first found in Boak in the parish of Kirkcolm, Dumfries and Galloway, part of the former county of Wigtownshire. Early entries for the family are relatively rare as we must look to the 16th century to find the first recorded entry, that of Andrew Boog who witnessed instrument of sasine in 1550. David Book was a merchant in Edinburgh, 1610 and Thomas Baok was a merchant burgess of Stirling in 1622. 1

Early History of the Bock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bock research. Another 321 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1546, 1576, 1595, 1605, 1613, 1626, 1629, 1632, 1636, 1643, 1652, 1664, 1666, 1668, 1683, 1685, 1688, 1697, 1709, 1775, 1786, 1793, 1797, 1812, 1863 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bock Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, no real standards were established to judge the accuracy of spelling and translation. They were done mostly by ear and intuition, and enormous numbers of spelling variations were the unsurprising result. Bock has appeared as Boag, Boig, Book, Boack, Boge, Bogue, Boak, Bouk, Bouck, Bogues, Bogg, Boggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Bock family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Boag (1775-1863), Scottish compiler of the ‘Imperial Lexicon,’ born at Highgate in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire, on 7 Jan. 1775. He matriculated at the university of Glasgow in 1797, and completed his academical course with a view to taking orders in the church of Scotland, but joined the body of independents or Congregationalists, who in 1812 formed themselves into the...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bock Ranking

In the United States, the name Bock is the 3,354^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Bock is ranked the 9,022^nd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Bock family to Ireland

Some of the Bock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bock migration to the United States +

North America was far from Britain's oppressive monarchy. There, the Scottish found land and freedom, and many even the opportunity to pay back England in the American War of Independence. This brave heritage survives today largely in Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Bock family in North America:

Bock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicklaus Bock, who landed in Delaware in 1643 4
William Bock, who landed in Virginia in 1665 4

Bock Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Maria Elizabeth Bock, aged 2, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
Maria Katherina Bock, aged 10, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
Maria Palma Bock, aged 8, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
Leonard Bock, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
Leonard Bock, aged 5, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bock Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Bock, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 4
Karl Bock, who arrived in Brazil in 1825 4
Joh Jos Henr Bock, who landed in America in 1830 4
Mr Bock, who landed in North America in 1832 4
Mr. Bock, who arrived in North America in 1832 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bock migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bock Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hacob Bock, who arrived in Canada in 1831
Mr. Friederik Bock, aged 4, German settler who landed in Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Leibig" in 1868
Mr. Bock,, German settler who landed in Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Leibig" in 1868
Augusta Bock, aged 31, who arrived in Quebec in 1868 aboard the ship "Leibig"

Bock migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Bock, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Alfred Bessell Bock, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 6
Sarah Bock, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 6
August Bock, aged 36, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 7
Charles Bock, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bock (post 1700) +

Lawrence A. "Larry" Bock (1959-2016), American entrepreneur and investor whose businesses have a market value of more than 70 billion
Jerry Bock (1928-2010), American composer of musicals, recipient of the Tony award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical Fiorello! and the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist for the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof with Harnick 8
Richard Bock (1865-1949), American sculptor
Thea Bock (1938-2025), German politician who served in the Hamburg Parliament from 1982 to 1984 and again from 1986 to 1988
Dagmar Bock (1920-2010), known as Dagmar Ostermann, Austrian Holocaust survivor
Jean Bock (1931-2022), Belgian politician, Member of the Liberal Reformist Party (PRL) and later the Reformist Movement (MR)
Ute Bock (1942-2018), Austrian educator
Fritz Bock (b. 1911), Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry
Alfred Bock (1859-1932), who composed stories and novels in the Hessian tradition
Thomas Bock (1793-1855), Australian artist
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GELLERT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Gellert.htm
Jerry Bock. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Jerry Bock. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Bock