Surname Whealock - Meaning and Origin
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Whealock: What does the surname Whealock mean?
The last name Whealock is a habitational surname derived from the place Wheal Lock in Devonshire, England. The meaning of Wheal Lock is “the lock of the tin mine’’, and the tin mine in this sense is referring to a Cornish mine.
The name Whealock is derived from the two words Wheal and Lock. Wheal is a Cornish word that is used to refer to a tin mine. This was a commonly used word in the medieval period and was derived from an Old English word huelli meaning hollow of a hill. Lock is derived from the Old English word lacu, meaning wet area, valley or meadow.
Most people with this last name are believed to be descendants of Welsh, Cornish, or Irish settlers who settled in Devon in the 12th century. Today, there are families with the Whealock surname living in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
The Whealock family crest has a blue shield with a yellow martlet. The martlet is a bird with no legs and feet, and it is used to signify people who were striving to reach their destination without hindrance. The shield is topped by a metal helmet to represent strength and loyalty. The Whealock surname is also represented by a branch of oak, denoting strength and stability.
Order DNA origin analysisWhealock: Where does the name Whealock come from?
The surname Whealock is not particularly common today. It is believed to have been derived from the English word "whelac," which described a gated enclosure for sheep. This suggests the Whealock family descends from an ancestor who kept sheep, possibly in a "whelac."
The earliest known Whealock family record appears in the United States in 1790, in Georgia. The family later moved to other states in the South, such as Alabama and North Carolina. In the 1870s, individuals by the name Whealock relocated to Linn County, Iowa. Descendants of this family can be found in parts of the United States, including in the state of California and the Midwest.
Today, Whealock is considered a rare name. The United States Census Bureau recorded only 101 individuals with the Whealock surname in the United States as of 2020. The greatest concentration of it is located in Iowa, specifically in Benton and Linn counties. Other concentrations can be found in North Carolina, California, and Texas.
The family currently maintains a Facebook page, run by descendants, and a website which shares their history. A Whealock family reunion is held in Iowa every two years. Although the name Whealock is not widely found today, it is a proud part of United States history and has a thriving community of descendants across the U.S.
Variations of the surname Whealock
The surname Whealock has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Whealock can be spelled in various ways, such as Wheeleock, Whealecke, Whelocke, Whelock, Whealock, Wheeloche, Wheelocks, Whelick, Wheelick, Whiselock, Welslock, Weelock, Wheeleockes, Wheelecke, Whealoch, Whealicke, and Wheollocke.
In some cases, the last name Whealock can be shortened, such as in Whee or Wheal. It can be lengthened, such as Wheallock, Wheellock, or Wheeleockes. It can also have variants depending on dialect and colloquial pronunciation, such as Wheelyock, Wheelick, Whelyck, Wheeleek, Whillyock, Whaalock, Whoelock, and Whildeck.
Alternate spellings of Whealock can also be found in other languages, such as Widerlein in German, Goudelin in French, Gärilin in Swedish, Gierlen in Dutch, and Guarle in Italian.
It is important to note that Whealock can also be a variant of other surnames, such as Whalen, Whelan, Wheland, Welham, Wallen, and Weal. These surnames are derived from a variety of sources and locations, including the Old English personal names Waelhelm or Wela. In some cases, Whealock may have descended from these variants.
All of these spellings and surnames are related to the original surname Whealock, and tracing them back to their origins can provide insight into the family's heritage and origins.
Famous people with the name Whealock
- Matthew Whealock: American basketball player
- Corey Whealock: American CEO
- Rowdy Whealock: American MMA fighter
- Georgia Whealock: British actress
- Rob Whealock: American entrepreneur
- Scott Whealock: Professional soccer player in the MLS
- Ember Whealock: Australian singer-songwriter
- Frank Whealock: Canadian physician
- Philip Whealock: English historian and author
- Bobbie Whealock: American soul musician