Bullock
An English surname usually derived from the animal bullock, likely first used as a nickname or sign-name.
The #770 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,901 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bullock is generally explained as a nickname or sign-name from the animal, originally meaning a young bull or ox. The word goes back to Old English and related Germanic forms, and the surname likely arose from someone associated with cattle, whether by appearance, behavior, occupation, or a house sign. A few early writers also noted Anglo-Norman forms such as Le Boeuf and Front-de-Boeuf, which show the same animal-based naming pattern.
History
The name is well established in England and later spread to other English-speaking countries. In historical surname lists it appears alongside other livestock-based names such as Bull, Stott, Colt, and Veale, reflecting a common medieval naming habit. The modern spelling Bullock became the standard form, though related regional and documentary variants also occur.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers grouped Bullock with a whole cluster of farm-animal surnames, showing how common animal nicknames were in medieval England.
From the historical record
“BULLEY. A parish in co. Gloucester. BULLICK. Bullwick, co. Northampt.? BULLOCK. Doubtless from the animal. Le Bceuf occurs as an early A-Norm. sur- name, as also does Front-de-Boiuf, " bul- lock's forehead." BULLjMAN. Bollman in the Orkneys means a cottager. It is alwaj'S pronounced ionman. Jamieson. BULLPIT.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom