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Jock
How to Pronounce Jock
Pronounced JOK /ΛdΚΙk/High
Meaning: Jock is the Scottish everyday pet form of John (and its cousin Jack), so it inherits John's Hebrew meaning, from Yochanan, 'God is gracious'.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Jock is the Scottish counterpart to English Jack: both are affectionate pet forms of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'. In Scotland it long served as an everyday stand-in for the formal name.
As an American given name it was never common, drifting along in small numbers through the mid-twentieth century and cresting modestly around the late nineteen-fifties. It reads today as a hearty, old-school Scottish choice.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Jock mean?
Jock is a Scottish pet form of John, so it means 'God is gracious', from Hebrew Yochanan.
How do you pronounce Jock?
It's said JOK /ΛdΚΙk/ β one syllable, rhyming with 'rock'.
Is Jock a boy or girl name?
Jock is used as a boy's name, as a Scottish form of John.
How popular is Jock?
Jock is an uncommon name in the U.S., most familiar as a Scottish nickname for John.