Surname Whatlock - Meaning and Origin
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Whatlock: What does the surname Whatlock mean?
The last name Whatlock is derived from the name Wattloch, which is a location name of German origins. The name is derived from the combination of two words: “Watt” meaning “water” and “loch” meaning “a body of water” or “lake”. This combination led to the name Wattloch, meaning a “lake by the water” or “watering place”.
The Wattloch family first began to appear in the historical records of the region in the 15th century, and there are several prominent branches of the family including those who took the name Whatlock. The Whatlock family is believed to have branched off from the original Wattloch family, and may even have had the same progenitor.
The Whatlock family flourished in the 16th and 17th century in Germany and other parts of Europe, and many members of the family served in the various armies of the region, often holding positions of rank. Members of the family were also active in the trades and professions and also in various educational pursuits.
Many of the Whatlock family can trace their roots back to the original Wattloch family, and some members of the Whatlock line have even kept contact with the original family and travel often to Germany to visit them. The Whatlock name is now associated with hardworking, industrious people of German Tudor heritage, and many of the descendants of the original Whatlock family are still alive and active today.
Order DNA origin analysisWhatlock: Where does the name Whatlock come from?
The last name Whatlock is not very common today, and is mainly found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and a few other countries. It is suggested that the name originated from a little English village in Leicestershire. It is said that several variations of the name Whatlock have been found in the village of Whatlock.
More recently, the last name Whatlock has been found among the descendants of those living in what is now the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire regions in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Whatlock is not commonly found but people with the last name can be traced back to the late 1700s.
Further, there have been mentions of people bearing the name Whatlock in Australia since at least the late 1800s but data does not indicate whether these are direct descendants of those in the United Kingdom or the United States.
Today, the last name Whatlock does not appear to be particularly common in most countries. It is not found among the top 1000 most common last names in the United States and neither is it among the top 1000 most common last names in the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname Whatlock
Whatlock is a surname of English origin. It is thought to have derived from a place name such as Watling Lock, found in various settlements in England. The most common variants for this surname are Whatlocke, Whattlocke, Whatluck, Whattlock, Whetlock, and Wheatloch.
Whatlock can also be spelt as Watlock, Wateloch, Waltloch, Wartloch, Watloch, Wastloch and Wateloca. Surnames with similar origins and spellings include Whetlorch, Wattlock, Wattleock, Watlok, Wattracke, Waterlack, Wattloff, and Watlak.
Several variants of Whatlock exist due to either incorrect misspellings or deteriorated record keeping over time. These variants tend to be phonetically similar and are often found in sources that pre-date nineteenth-century record keeping. Variations of the name include Whatloch, Whatloch, Watlock, Whattlack, Wattlock, Wattloch, Watlack, Watsonlock and Watloke.
Interestingly, the surname Whatlock is not exclusive to the British Isles. Variations of this surname exist in the United States and Canada, with spellings such as Whatlick, Wattclay, Wettlauf, and Whitelock. Variations of the name are also found throughout Europe, such as Whetlock in Germany and Wątłok in Poland, indicating the long-distance migration of people with the surname Whatlock.
Famous people with the name Whatlock
- Julie Whatlock: UFC fighter who has collected two losses and two wins in her career.
- Christopher Whatlock: English actor who has had minor roles in films and television shows such as Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Inspector Morse.
- Thomas Whatlock: inventor of the first mechanical tinsmith's shears in the 1790s.
- Joe Whatlock: English rock singer most known for fronting The Whatlock Boys.
- Jake Whatlock: British retail entrepreneur and founder of Whatlock.com.
- Peter Whatlock: British soldier and recipient of the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in 1983.
- Laura Whatlock: English silver-medalist rower at the World Rowing Junior Championships in 2003.
- Will Whatlock: British video game developer and founder of Whatlock Games.
- Sarah Whatlock: English softball player and member of the Great Britain team that won the European Championship in 2005.
- Alice Whatlock: English landscape artist and member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.