Surname Whitelocke - Meaning and Origin

Whitelocke: What does the surname Whitelocke mean?

The surname Whitelocke is an English patronymic surname derived from the name 'White'. The origins of the name lie in the Middle Ages, when the English rewarded a service to their country by giving citizens land or a coat of arms and thereafter calling them by the color of the coat of arms. A notable bearer of this name was the Puritan, William Whitelocke, who fought during the English Civil War in the 17th century. It is believed that he acquired his name from a coat of arms of a white lion.

The name Whitelocke also carries the root meaning of 'white lock' or 'white mane of hair'. This suggests that the family of the original bearer had fair hair, or alternatively favoured the lion emblem because of its white mane.

The name Whitelocke is quite rare today and is mainly found in certain parts of the United Kingdom, however, there are several other variants of the name, such as 'Whitlock', 'Wittelock', 'WyteLock', and 'Whitlocke'.

The surname Whitelocke is an evocative one that symbolizes a proud legacy of bravery, courage and loyalty to one's country. It also serves as a reminder of how far a family or an individual can rise through service, tenacity and hard work; creating a legacy that will span generations.

Whitelocke: Where does the name Whitelocke come from?

The last name Whitelocke is a fairly common surname found across England and other parts of the United Kingdom today. In England, the highest concentrations of Whitelockes are found in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Devon. Outside of the UK, there are also a significant number of Whitelockes in the United States. For example, California, Texas, Florida, and New York are all states where the name Whitelocke is found.

According to British physicist Joseph Whitelocke’s celebrated autobiography, the surname has been traced back to a man named Samuel WhitelOCKE who moved from his ancestral village in Shropshire to London in 1635. Since that time, the Whitelocke name has spread throughout England and beyond.

Today Whitelocke is a popular last name throughout the English-speaking world. In the United States it is ranked as the 6761st most common last name, out of a total of 88,799 surnames. Whitelocke is a respected name with a long and distinguished history in the United Kingdom, and its use continues to remain strong today.

Variations of the surname Whitelocke

The surname Whitelocke is derived from the Old English term hwiteloc, meaning "white meadow." Variations of this surname include Whitelock, Whitely, Wightlock, Wightly, Whitlock, and Wight.

Whitelocke can also appear in various forms, such as Whitlock, Whitely, Whitelyck, Whiteley, Whitleck, Whiteleck, Wightly, Wightley, Wightlock, and Wightleck.

The t spelling variants include Whitelott, Whitlett, Whitelote, Whitleote, Whiteleto, Whitlete, Whiteleyt, Whitlevet, Whitlott, Whitleot, Whiteleot, Whitleot, Whitlytt, and Whitelytt.

Surnames related to Whitelocke in origin may include: Whittock, Whitlox, Whitecroft, Whitecraft, Whitcome, Whitacre, Whittaker, Whitestamper, Whiting, Whitechurch, Whitland, Whitlaw, Whitelam, Whiteman, and Whitefoot. By adding suffixes to the stem Whitelocke, other surnames such as Whitelockby, Whitelockling, Whitelocklinge, Whitelockston, and Whitelockstone, among many others, can be derived.

A number of families in England have adopted the Whitelocke surname and spelling variations such as Whitfield, Whitworth, Whittington, Whitmarsh, Whitchurch, Whitner, and Whitenton. The Whitelocke surname can be found among Irish and Scottish descent, including the Clan Whitelock of Ireland.

Variations of the Whitelocke surname have also been found in other places in Europe, such as Germany, Italy, and Sweden. The German version of the Whitelocke surname is "Whitefeld." In Italy, the spelling variant is "Whitefield," and in Sweden, the surname is spelled "Whitefeldt."

Famous people with the name Whitelocke

• John Whitelocke (1615-1679), an English lawyer and politician who served in Cromwell’s Parliament
• John Whitelocke (1735-1811), an English barrister and writer
• Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605-1675), an English lawyer, politician and writer
• Mary Whitelocke (1776-1845), an English poet
• Lindsay Whitelocke (1962-2019), a New Zealand author and actress
• Isabel Whitelocke (1908-1993), a British author and journalist
• John Whitelocke (1732-1808), an English barrister and politician
• George Whitelocke (1849-1921), an English playwright
• Susan Whitelocke (1754-1809), a British travel writer
• Paul Whitelocke (1893-1979), a Dutch-born British actor

Other surnames

Whitelock