Locke is an English surname from Old English loc, which is usually explained as "enclosure" or "lock", originally for someone who lived by a fenced place or river lock, or a nickname for a man with striking locks of hair. The philosopher John Locke, whose ideas shaped the Declaration of Independence, is its most famous bearer. Locke peaked at number 1966 in the United States in 2016 and ranks 2198 in 2025 with 65 births.