William Cock

Maleabout 1736– •24RF-7QF

1 English: (i) occupational name from Middle English cok ‘cook’, a possible variant of Cook if shortening of the vowel of Old English cōc ‘cook’ occurred before it developed to Middle English coke, couk, cook. In examples of Coc and Cok below, the vowel may be short or long, so they could alternatively be cited under Cook . (ii) nickname from Middle English cok (Old English and Old French coc) ‘male bird, cock’ (especially the male of the domestic fowl), perhaps used humorously of a leader or chief man in a social group, though this sense is not recorded before the 16th century in OED . Some of the following early bearers may alternatively belong under other senses below.

2 English: relationship name occasionally perhaps from the Middle English personal name Cok, of uncertain origin. For possible early bearers of the surname see examples without the definite article in (1) above.

3 English: (i) locative name from Middle English cok (Old English cocc) ‘hillock, haycock, heap’, denoting someone who lived by a hillock or mound. (ii) occupational name from Middle English cok, cok(k)e ‘ship’s boat’, and used for a boatman. Compare Barge . (iii) locative name, occupational name for someone who lived or worked or at a house or inn distinguished by a sign depicting a haycock or mound, a boat, or a cock bird (see the senses above).