Hathcock
An English surname most likely from a nickname or a place-name element built around Old English personal-name roots, later fixed in the American South.
The #8,793 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,862 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hathcock is generally treated as an English surname, but its exact origin is not entirely secure. It is often explained as a reduced or altered form of an older name containing Old English elements, possibly with the second element -cock, a common Middle English ending in surnames. The first part may reflect a personal name or local-name element that has been shortened or obscured over time, so the literal sense is uncertain.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon today and is especially associated with the United States, where many bearers are concentrated in the South. Like many English surnames that arrived in America early and then stabilized in regional communities, its spelling may have shifted from an older British form. Because the name is rare, historical records often show variant spellings rather than a single fixed lineage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Its unusual shape makes it look older than it is in many modern records; rare surnames like this often preserve spelling quirks that became fixed in one family line.