Waldock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Waldock

What does the name Waldock mean?

Since the Anglo-Saxons had originally come from the German Rhineland, their language was similar to the dialect of that region. Thus the Anglo-Saxon and German name Waldock, both come from the same root words, from the Old High German "wald" for wood and "ecka" for corner or "eiche" for oak.

Early Origins of the Waldock family

The surname Waldock was first found in Germany, where the descendents of Widukind III, Count of Schwalenberg (1116-37) named themselves for the Castle of Waldeck, acquired around 1150.

Early History of the Waldock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waldock research. The years 1300 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Waldock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waldock Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Waldock include Waldock, Waldeck, Walduck and others.

Early Notables of the Waldock family

the Waldock family of York

Waldock migration to Canada +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Waldock or a variant listed above:

Waldock Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Waldock, who emigrated from Hertfordshire to Ontario in 1836
Johann Waldock, aged 26, farmer from Prussia who landed in Quebec in 1868 aboard the ship "Leibig"
Paul Waldock, aged 33, farmer from Prussia who arrived in Quebec in 1868 aboard the ship "Leibig"
Charles Waldock, who was recorded in the 1871 census in Ontario

Waldock migration to Australia +

Waldock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Waldock, aged 19, a baker, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Thetis" 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Waldock (post 1700) +

Ronald "Ronnie" Waldock (b. 1932), English former professional association football player who played from 1950 and 1964
Sir Claud Humphrey Meredith Waldock CMG OBE QC (1904-1981), English jurist and international lawyer who served as the British judge in the European Court of Human Rights from 1966 until 1974
Frederic Alexander Waldock (1898-1959), Sri Lanka-born, British first-class cricketer for Oxford University and Somerset between 1919 and 1924

Historic Events for the Waldock family +

Cataraqui

William Waldock (b. 1812), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Maria Waldock (b. 1813), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Thomas Waldock (b. 1832), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
George Waldock (b. 1834), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
William Waldock (b. 1836), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
... (Another 4 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THETIS 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Thetis.htm