Show ContentsMoeck Surname History

The German province known as the Rhineland is the ancestral home of the Moeck family. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics. Moeck is a name for a person who was round and plump. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Moeck family

The surname Moeck was first found in Cologne, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Jeckl Mock (Mockl) of Iglau in 1359. It's literal meaning in Old-German was "plump." Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Moeck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moeck research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1722, 1760 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Moeck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moeck Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Moeck include Mock, Moeck, Moek, Moecke, Moeke, Moekel, Moeckel, Moekl, Moeckl, Mockl, Mockler, Moeckel, Mockler, Muckler and many more.

Early Notables of the Moeck family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moeck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Moeck family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Moeck, or one of its variants above: Hans Peter Mock, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1733. Among the many to follow this first settler were: Samuel Moch and Nicholas Mock, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1738.



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