Locke Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Locke last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Locke coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Locke last name
Meaning of the Locke last name: dweller by an enclosure. Locke is an English surname for someone who lived by an enclosure or a river barrier, from Old English loca, or for a locksmith. The last name is found across southern England. Curiously, the philosopher John Locke, whose ideas shaped the American Declaration of Independence, made it famous.
Arms associated with the Locke name
Coats of arms associated with the Locke last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Locke family history
This is only a glimpse of the Locke story. The full Locke history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Locke coat of arms. Get the full Locke report.
Locke name FAQ
What does the Locke name mean?
Dweller by an enclosure. Common variants include Lock, Lok.
Where does the Locke surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in Ireland, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Locke coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Locke coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).