Comstock
A surname of uncertain origin, most likely either Dutch or English, with a well-known American family association.
The #3,437 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,716 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The oldest dictionary note for Comstock treats it as possibly Dutch, explaining it as a dock or harbor made of timber, from words corresponding to "dock" and "stock" (wood or stake). That is a plausible locational surname idea, but the evidence is thin and the early source also mixes in other entries, so the derivation is not fully secure. The name may also have English local-name roots, but the cited material does not settle the question.
History
Comstock is best known in the United States through established families, especially in the Northeast and later in wider American use. The surname appears in 19th-century reference works and was already recognized as an American family name by that period. Because the early evidence is fragmentary and partly noisy, the deeper origin remains somewhat uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname became especially familiar in American history through the Comstock family of New York and Nevada, which helped make it a recognizable U.S. name.
From the historical record
“low, shut up, and nant, a rivulet. COMSTOCK. (Dutch.) From Jcom, a dock or harbor, and stock, a stick or timber — the wharf or dock of timber. CONN. (Gaelic.) Strength, according to O'Donovan; it is also the genitive plural of cu, a dog. Cond, signifies pro- tecting, keeping. 102 ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY CONDE. May…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names