Show ContentsBock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bock family

The surname Bock was first found in Alsace and Franconia, where the name could be considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. The Bock branch of Strasbourg enjoyed prestige in this city; Cunz Bock was knighted by King Albrecht I of Germany in 1298, and his descendant Georg Jacob was leader of the city in 1587. Sigmund von Bock was Bishop of Cammin in Pomerania in 1446.

Early History of the Bock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bock research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1314, 1498, 1554, 1695, 1731, 1748 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Bock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bock Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bock, Bocke, Boch, Boche, Bauck, Baucke, Bauch, Bauche, Bokke and many more.

Early Notables of the Bock family

Notables of the period with the surname Bock were

  • Nicolaus Bock, who was a chancellor and emissary for the election of the Emperor in Frankfurt in 1314. Hieronymus Bock (Latinised Hieronymus Tragus
  • c. 1498-1554) was a German botanist, physician, and Lutheran minister who began the transition from medieval botany to the modern scientific worldview by arranging plants by their relation or resembla...

Bock Ranking

In the United States, the name Bock is the 3,354th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Bock is ranked the 9,022nd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2


United States Bock migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nicklaus Bock, who landed in Delaware in 1643 3
  • William Bock, who landed in Virginia in 1665 3
Bock Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Maria Elizabeth Bock, aged 2, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • Maria Katherina Bock, aged 10, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • Maria Palma Bock, aged 8, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • Leonard Bock, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • Leonard Bock, aged 5, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bock Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Bock, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 3
  • Karl Bock, who arrived in Brazil in 1825 3
  • Joh Jos Henr Bock, who landed in America in 1830 3
  • Mr Bock, who landed in North America in 1832 3
  • Mr. Bock, who arrived in North America in 1832 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Bock migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bock Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Hacob Bock, who arrived in Canada in 1831
  • Augusta Bock, aged 31, who arrived in Quebec in 1868

Australia Bock migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Bock, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
  • Alfred Bessell Bock, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 5
  • Sarah Bock, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 5
  • August Bock, aged 36, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 6
  • Charles Bock, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bock (post 1700) +

  • Lawrence A. "Larry" Bock (1959-2016), American entrepreneur and investor whose businesses have a market value of more than 70 billion
  • Jerry Bock (1928-2010), American composer of musicals, recipient of the Tony award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical Fiorello! and the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist for the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof with Harnick 7
  • Richard Bock (1865-1949), American sculptor
  • Carl Ernst Bock (1809-1874), German anatomist
  • Jean Bock (1931-2022), Belgian politician, Member of the Liberal Reformist Party (PRL) and later the Reformist Movement (MR)
  • Ute Bock (1942-2018), Austrian educator
  • Fritz Bock (b. 1911), Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry
  • Alfred Bock (1859-1932), who composed stories and novels in the Hessian tradition
  • Thomas Bock (1793-1855), Australian artist
  • Sir William Bock Ayling (1867-1946), British civil servant and judge who served on the bench of the Madras High Court from 1912 to 1924


Suggested Readings for the name Bock +

  • The Descendants of Frederick and Maria (Reichard) Bock by Melvin Bock.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GELLERT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Gellert.htm
  7. Jerry Bock. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Jerry Bock. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Bock


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