The small and ancient town of Pocklington, some ten miles from the city of York, is the origin of this English surname. Recorded in various spellings including Pocklington, Pocklinton, Poclinton, and others, the surname is a typical locational name in that the epicentre of the name is now said to be in the adjoining county of Lincolnshire. Locational surnames by their nature were names given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else often in search of work, and thereafter were most easily identified by being called after their original homestead. The place name and hence the surname means "The home (-tun) of the Poca people (-ing)," with poca probably meaning frog, although this is not proven. The first recording however may be that of the lord of the manor of Pocklington and appears in the Hundred Rolls of landowners of the county in 1273. This was Reginius de Poclinton, whilst Adam de Poklyngton was a mercer, and a Freeman of the city of York in 1274. William Pocklington of Lincoln was a student of Oxford University, and appears in the register for the year 1575.

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