Nickname
Bullock surname meaning
An English surname from Middle English bullok, “young bull,” used as a nickname or, less often, for a keeper of bullocks.
The short story
Bullock comes straight from Middle English bullok, a young bull (Old English bulluc). Surname dictionaries treat it mainly as a nickname—often for an exuberant or sturdy young man—and sometimes as a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept bullocks. Bullocks and Bulluck are later spelling variants. The animal word is transparent in modern English, which can make the name feel newer than it is; medieval records already show the byname. Nickname is the catalog lead, and the young-bull sense is high confidence.
Also seen as: Bullock, Bullocks, Bulluck, Billock
Sources used
- Geneanet / DAFN entry for Bullock (bullok nickname or metonymic occupational)
- Ancestry surname meaning for Bullock (young bull nickname)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)