Wheelock

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".

Pronounced WHEEL-ok.