The English surname of Hancock comes from the name ‘Hann’ which as a form of the name John or Johan. A form of the Middle Dutch term ‘hanecoc’ referred to shellfish. Variations in spelling Hancock include Handcock, Hancocke, Handcocks and Hancox. In England the Hancock surname is found in Yorkshire, the city of London, Staffordshire, and all along the southwestern English coast. In Wales the name is found in Glamorgan. In Scotland the Hancock families originated lived in Fife, Midlothian and Ayrshire. Within the United States the Hancock surname is in most of the eastern half of the country. Those states with the highest numbers include Georgia, New York, Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois and Missouri. Famous: Michael Hancock (rugby player from Australia), John Hancock (signer of the U. S. Declaration of Independence), Thomas Hancock (19th century inventor of a machine for shedding rubber scraps), Walter Hancock (developed steam powered road vehicles in the early 1800s), Cornelia Hancock (field nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War), Trenton D. Hancock (artist), Henry Hancock (developer of 19th century Southern California) and Winfield Scott Hancock (Civil War Union Army General).