Roic
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin potentially derived from the Old Norse elements "hróðr" meaning "praise" and "ríkr" meaning "powerful".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Roic. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Roic today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roic births was 2023 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roic. 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 Roic. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
2023
8 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,560
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Roic: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Roic 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 Roic during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Roic
The name Roic has its origins in the ancient Gaelic language, which was spoken in parts of what is now modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Irish word "róic," which means "rough" or "coarse." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals with a rugged or hardy appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roic can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a man named Roic Ua Miadhachain, who lived in the 11th century and was a prominent chieftain in the region of Connacht.
In the 12th century, a Benedictine monk named Roic de Cluny was known for his writings and contributions to monastic life in France. His work "Vita Sancti Hugonis Abbatis Cluniacensis" (Life of Saint Hugh, Abbot of Cluny) is considered an important historical source on the life of the influential Cluniac reformer, Hugh of Semur.
During the 15th century, a Scottish nobleman named Roic Macnab played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was a staunch supporter of Robert the Bruce and is believed to have fought alongside the king at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
In the realm of literature, the name Roic is associated with the character Roic the Massive from the popular fantasy series "The Gentleman Bastard Sequence" by Scott Lynch. Roic is a skilled bodyguard and companion to the protagonist, Locke Lamora, in the novels set in the fictional city of Camorr.
Another notable figure in history bearing the name Roic was Roic de Montfort, a French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade alongside King Richard the Lionheart in the late 12th century. He was known for his bravery and military prowess during the campaign in the Holy Land.
While the name Roic may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and associations with individuals from various walks of life make it a unique and intriguing moniker with deep cultural roots.
People
Roic + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roic 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
Roic: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roic?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roic 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Roic a common name?
We classify Roic as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roic most popular?
The single biggest year for Roic was 2023, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roic is about 3 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 Roic in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Roic a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roic 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 Roic still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Roic 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 Roic 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 are named Roic?
Find out how many people share the name Roic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.