surname, place in today's Shanxi
郝 is a proper noun used as a surname and a historical place name in modern Shanxi. It has no common standalone meaning beyond these references.
郝 combines 赤 (red) with the city enclosure ⻏ (阝), suggesting a place name. The exact historical development is uncertain.
The left side 赤 (red) and right side ⻏ (city wall) together suggest a red-walled city, which can help you remember it as a place name or surname.
For カク, imagine a red-walled city with a distinctive angular corner: the corner is a 'cuck' shape, like a cuckoo's beak, which cues カク.