Rochus
A masculine name of German origin meaning "bright fame" or "brilliant renown".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Rochus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rochus today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rochus births was 1914 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rochus. 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 Rochus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1914
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1914 SSA rank
#3,657
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Rochus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Rochus 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 Rochus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Rochus
The name Rochus derives from the German form of the late Latin name Rochus, which in turn comes from the Italian name Rocco. Its origins can be traced back to the Germanic languages, where it is related to words meaning "rest" or "repose."
The name rose to prominence during the Middle Ages, particularly in association with St. Roch, a Catholic saint venerated for his care of victims of the plague in 14th century Italy. According to legend, St. Roch contracted the plague while tending to the sick but miraculously recovered after a dog brought him bread and licked his wounds.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Rochus de Montpellier, a French nobleman born around 1295 who dedicated his life to serving the poor and sick. He is revered as a patron saint of several professions, including doctors, invalids, and those suffering from infectious diseases.
Throughout history, the name Rochus has been borne by various notable individuals, including:
1. Rochus Hunderen (c. 1420-1484), a Dutch composer and singer who served as a choirmaster in the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.
2. Rochus Spiecker (1551-1625), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
3. Rochus Misch (1917-2013), a German who served as Adolf Hitler's bodyguard and was one of the last surviving members of Hitler's inner circle.
4. Rochus Glijns (1810-1880), a Dutch Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Roermond from 1858 until his death.
5. Rochus Misch (1888-1967), an Austrian composer and organist known for his sacred choral works and organ compositions.
While the name Rochus has declined in popularity in recent decades, it remains a cultural and historical reminder of the reverence for St. Roch and the significance of his selfless acts during times of great hardship.
People
Rochus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rochus 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
Rochus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rochus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rochus 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 - US residents.
Is Rochus a common name?
We classify Rochus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rochus most popular?
The single biggest year for Rochus was 1914, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rochus is about 0 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 Rochus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rochus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rochus in the SSA data are male. 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 Rochus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rochus 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 Rochus 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 Rochus as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.