Wheelock

English surname

"winding river"

Wheelock Origin and Meaning

The name Wheelock is a boy's name meaning "winding river".

As a given name, Wheelock has been passed down to generations of the Whitney family — descendants of Eli Whitney, creator of the cotton gin. The first Wheelock Whitney — known as Wheels — was named after his mother, Alice Wheelock. His son, Wheelock Whitney Jr. went by Whee, and Wheelock Whitney III is called Lock.

The surname Wheelock originally denoted someone who lived near the Wheelock river in Cheshire. The river name means "winding river".