Cocq

Cocq is a proper noun used primarily as a surname and, less commonly, as a placename in French-speaking regions. The surname Cocq is generally considered to be of French origin, deriving from the Old French word coq, meaning rooster. It is commonly understood as a nickname for a person associated with a rooster or as a toponymic surname for someone from a place named after the animal. The spelling with two consonants before the q reflects traditional French orthography and regional variation; variant forms recorded in historical sources include Coq and Cocque, among others.

Geographically, the surname has appeared in France and Belgium, and through migration has spread to neighboring countries in Western Europe. In addition to personal names, Cocq has occasionally appeared as part of place names in historical or local contexts, though the precise localities and attestations vary by region and period. In modern usage, Cocq is primarily encountered as a family name rather than a common noun.

As with many surnames derived from animals or nicknames, the distribution and spelling of Cocq can differ across parish, civil, and archival records, depending on linguistic shifts and administrative changes over time. See also Coq and Cocque for related surname forms, and a general disambiguation reference for related terms.