MATLOCK
Matlock is a surname of English origin, traditionally linking bearers to a specific locality within Derbyshire.
The name is a locational surname that arose from the place called Matlock in the Midlands. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the settlement is recorded as Meslach, and later occurrences include matlac in the Curia Rolls of 1196 and matloc in 1204.
The etymology of the placename is clear from its Old‑English roots. The element maethel means “assembly” or “moot”, while ac translates to “oak”. Consequently, the place name denotes the oak tree that once served as a gathering point for local councils or assemblies in Anglo‑Saxon England.
In the same vein, the surname Matlock can also be interpreted through Old‑English elements: mæthel meaning “assembly” and lacu meaning “stream” or “watercourse”, yielding the sense of “the stream near an assembly place”. Both readings reflect the intimate relationship between the community and its natural surroundings.
The first documented instance of the family name appears in a marriage record dated 26 September 1615, involving George Matlock and Anna Stonnes in Bolsover, Lancashire, during the reign of King James I of England and VI of Scotland.
Over centuries, a number of orthographic variants have emerged, including Matlack, Mattlock, Matlok, Matlacke, Matlacki, and Madlock. These variants arose from regional dialects, transcription errors in parish registers, and the natural evolution of spelling within English orthography.
In contemporary times the surname remains mostly concentrated in the United Kingdom, especially in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire. A notable diaspora can be observed in the United States, where the name appears frequently in Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and California, and a smaller but persistent presence exists in Australia.
The geographical breadth of the surname, coupled with its clear origin from a specific Anglo‑Saxon meeting place, underscores its significance as a vestige of early English communal life and local governance.
Typical given names associated with the Matlock surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Clive
- Darren
- David
- George
- James
- John
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
- Tunde
- William
Female
- Elizabeth
- Jackie
- Jacqueline
- Joan
- Joanne
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Laura
- Lisa
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Vera
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Matlock in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 321 people named Matlock in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around five in a million people in Britain are named Matlock.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Matlock
- Glen Matlock - Musician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.