The rook Surname
rook Name Meaning and History
- English: nickname from the bird (Old English hroc), most likely given to a person with very dark hair or a dark complexion or to someone with a raucous voice.
- English: some early examples, such as Robert of ye Rook (London 1318) and Henry del Rook (Staffordshire 1332), point clearly to a local name of some kind. The first of these could be from a house sign, the second may be a variant of Rock 1.
- German: from a short form of a Germanic personal name formed with hrok, of uncertain origin; perhaps a cognate of 1 or from Middle High German rohen ‘to cry or yell (in battle)’ or Old High German ruoh ‘intent’.
- Perhaps an altered spelling of German Ruck.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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