Rochon
Rochon is a French name derived from the Norman French "roche", meaning "rocky place" or "crag".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Rochon. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Rochon today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rochon births was 1969 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rochon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rochon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1969
5 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1975 SSA rank
#6,146
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Rochon
Rochon is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Rochon as a male name
- Ranked #6,146 in 1975
- 5 male births in 1975
- Peak: 1975 (5 births)
Rochon as a female name
- Ranked #8,390 in 1969
- 5 female births in 1969
- Peak: 1969 (5 births)
Popularity
Rochon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rochon from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rochon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rochon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rochon
The name Rochon has its origins in the French language and culture, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "roche," which means "rock" or "stone." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a rocky or stony area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rochon can be found in historical documents from the 13th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Rochon," "Rocheun," or "Rochaun," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in medieval times.
While there are no known direct references to the name Rochon in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that the name may have been used in local folklore or oral traditions of the time, given its connection to the natural landscape.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rochon. One of the earliest recorded was Jean Rochon (c. 1300-1375), a prominent merchant and landowner in the village of Rouen, Normandy. Another was Étienne Rochon (1470-1530), a French Catholic priest and theologian who served as a counselor to King Francis I.
In the 17th century, Pierre Rochon (1620-1689) was a renowned French architect and engineer who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais-Royal. A century later, Alexis Rochon (1741-1817) gained recognition as a French physicist and inventor, known for his contributions to the study of optics and the development of the Rochon prism, used in polarizing light.
More recently, in the 20th century, André Rochon (1925-2003) was a prominent Canadian politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament and Minister of National Revenue in the government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the name Rochon throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance associated with this name.
People
Rochon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rochon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rochon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rochon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rochon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Rochon a common name?
We classify Rochon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rochon most popular?
The single biggest year for Rochon was 1969, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rochon is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rochon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rochon a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Rochon in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rochon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rochon in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rochon can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Rochon as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Rochon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.