Hockett

Etymology

The surname Hockett is generally treated as an English name, but the exact derivation is not secure. Nineteenth-century surname scholars linked it with forms such as French Hocquet and related English names, suggesting a nickname built from a short root like hock- with a diminutive ending. The underlying sense may have referred to some physical characteristic or descriptive nickname, but the old sources do not give a single agreed explanation.

History

The name appears in English surname tradition and later became established in the United States, where it is now relatively uncommon. The historical record is thin, and the older etymological literature groups it with several similar hock- surnames rather than explaining it decisively on its own. Because of that, Hockett is best treated as an old English surname of uncertain but likely nickname-based formation.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

Older surname dictionaries often filed Hockett alongside a whole cluster of similar names such as Hocken, Hockey, Hocking, and Hockman, reflecting how uncertain their exact relationships could be.

Related surnames