Book
A surname that most likely began as a nickname or a name tied to books, writing, or learning.
The #5,471 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,575 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Book is generally taken from the common English word book, ultimately from Old English bōc, meaning a book or written record. As a surname, it was probably first used as a nickname for someone associated with reading, writing, copying, or perhaps a keeper or seller of books. In some cases it may also have arisen from a sign-name or house-name based on the word book.
History
The name is recorded in English surname tradition, but the excerpts provided do not give a firm medieval citation or a single agreed explanation. Because the spelling is so short and ordinary, it may also have been confused historically with similar-looking forms or with occupational bynames. Modern bearers in the United States are relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Book is such a straightforward common-word surname, it is one of those names whose meaning feels obvious today, but its earliest use as a family name is not always easy to prove from surviving records.
From the historical record
“The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)