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At a Glance: Name: Locke – Meaning: enclosure (surname) – Origin: English (surname) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: LAHK
Locke began as a surname — an English variant of 'Lock,' also found as a Norwegian farm name meaning 'enclosure' — before it was used as a first name. You may have heard it said that Locke means 'man of the forest,' but that claim isn't supported; the name's documented root is 'enclosure,' and as a given name it's been used mainly through fictional characters rather than family naming tradition.
Meaning & Origin of Locke
Meaning: Enclosure (surname).
Origin: English (surname).
A common claim: Locke means 'man of the forest' Actually: Locke is often glossed as 'man of the forest,' but that's not supported — it's a surname (an English/German variant of 'Lock', or a Norwegian farm name meaning 'enclosure'), used as a given name mainly through fictional characters.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Locke
Phonetic: LAHK IPA: /lɒk/
Popularity of Locke
Within SSA records spanning 1916 to 2024, Locke's best year was 2016, when it ranked #1966 with 74 babies given the name; by 2024 it had slipped to #2487, with just 55 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1916–2024.
Make Locke Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Locke, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Locke mean?
Enclosure (surname). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Locke)
How do you pronounce Locke?
Locke is pronounced LAHK (IPA: /lɒk/).
Is Locke a popular name right now?
Locke peaked at #1966 in 2016 and is ranked #2487 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1916–2024.)
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