MATTOCK
Mattock is an English surname, originating in the British Isles and historically associated with the Christian community of England. The name is derived from the Old English word mattuc, a term for a hand tool akin to a pickaxe, used for digging and chopping in agricultural settings.
As an occupational surname, Mattock most likely identified an individual who was either a maker of such tools or a frequent user—commonly a farmer or miner. This pattern of naming, where a surname reflects a person’s trade or the implements they employed, was standard in medieval England.
The surname first appears in written records in the twelfth century. One of the earliest attestations is the name William Maddoc recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire in 1274, during the reign of King Edward I. Earlier, an entry in the 1086 Domesday Book lists a Breton named Madoch, a follower of William the Conqueror, who received land in the Marches between England and Wales. Such records demonstrate the name’s deep historical roots.
Several variants of the surname exist, reflecting regional pronunciation and spelling practices. Common spellings include Maddocks, Maddicks, Mattacks, Matticks, Muttock, and Mattuck. All variants share the same etymological origin and are linked to the same occupational background.
The name also found connections with pre‑7th‑century Breton, Welsh, and Old Saxon personal names such as Matoc or Madawc, meaning "the goodly one." This indicates that early bearers of the name may have been regarded as holy men, hermits, or individuals noted for good deeds performed with little reward.
Historical records further document the surname in the late medieval period. Robert and Richard Mattock appear in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379, and in 1290 a Robert Mattok is recorded in Cheshire. In 1297 a Robert Madduk is listed in Cornwall, illustrating the widespread geographic distribution of the name within England.
Despite its early prevalence, Mattock is relatively uncommon in contemporary times. The Rare British Surnames database indicates that the name today has fewer than 200 bearers in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, descendants of the original families can be found across English‑speaking countries, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, a dispersion resulting from historical migration patterns.
In summary, Mattock is a traditional English surname with a clear occupational origin linked to agricultural tool‑making or use. Its documented history spans from the Domesday Book to medieval tax records, and it remains a distinct, though uncommon, surname in modern Britain and elsewhere.
Typical given names associated with the Mattock surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Anne
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Hannah
- Jennifer
- Jill
- Joanne
- Linda
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Mattock in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,142 people named Mattock in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,665th most common surname in Britain. Around 18 in a million people in Britain are named Mattock.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Mattock
- Joe Mattock - Football player
- John Mattock - Rose grower (1926 to 2017)
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.