Block

Spellings & scripts●

Locally spelled Bloeck in DE Germany.

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 4 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Block is also recorded as 4 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish name25K records spelled Block7 spellings in the group

  Also written Blóck, Blöck, Bļöćķ

• a separate surname5.6K records spelled Block3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in India

  Also written Blöck

• a separate name3.2K records spelled Block2 spellings in the group

  Also written Blóck

• Thai surname464 records spelled Block24 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Thailand, United Kingdom, Canada

  Languages: Thai, Lao

  Also written Locke, ล็อก, ล๊อก, Luig, ลอก

55 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Block is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In German, from 'block, log'; also used for an enclosed plot or prison

  as a name·Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung

• In German, from a nickname for a heavy, clumsy person; 'block'

  as a name·Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung

• In English, probably metonymic for blocker, one who blocks, especially in shoemaking and bookbinding; first attested Robert Bloc 1199 Cur (W)

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• In German, Personal characteristic; nickname for a bulky, block-like person. Bearer count: 6257.

  as a name·Deutscher Familiennamenatlas, Band 5: Familiennamen nach Beruf und persönlichen Merkmalen

• In English, Robert Bloc 1199 Cur (W); Benedict Blok 1327 SRSf. Probably metonymic for blocker. Henry le Blocker 1212 Cur (Y); Deodatus le Blokkere 1275 RH (Nf); one who blocks, especially in shoemaking and bookbinding.

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

FR INSEE — Fichier des noms de famille (1891–2000) — 11 years between 1891–1991. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Adriaen Blockb. 1567NLDutch explorer
• Lawrence Blockb. 1938USAmerican writer
• Walter Blockb. 1941USAustrian School economist and prominent anarcho-capitalist
• Ned Blockb. 1942USAmerican philosopher and academic
• Larry Blockb. 1942USAmerican actor (1942-2012)
• John Blockb. 1944USAmerican basketball player (born 1944)
• Bruce A. Blockb. 1950USAmerican film producer and writer
• Bill Blockb. 1954USAmerican film producer
• Ken Blockb. 1967USAmerican rally driver (1967–2023)
• Zhanna Pintusevich-Blockb. 1972UAUkrainian-Israeli sprinter

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 68 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Block?

We estimate roughly 25 thousand people bear Block (counting its spellings and scripts) across 14 countries in our records.

In which country does Block have the most bearers?

Block is most frequently recorded in India, where it is most often spelled block.

What does the name Block mean?

Recorded meaning: From a German and Dutch nickname for a large ungainly person, or possibly one regularly placed in the stocks; also perhaps for a trade user of a block, or an anglicization of Bloch.