2000
#6,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Larocca
An Italian toponymic surname derived from the place name La Rocca, meaning "the fortress" or "the castle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,882 Americans carry the last name Larocca. That puts it at #7,532 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,208 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larocca surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,208
Census rank
#7,532
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,257 bearers of the surname Larocca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7532nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Larocca
The surname LAROCCA is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Italian words "la" meaning "the" and "rocca" meaning "fortress" or "stronghold." This suggests that the name originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or worked in a fortified structure.
In the early Middle Ages, many Italians bore surnames derived from their occupations, physical characteristics, or places of residence. LAROCCA likely emerged as a surname in this context, referring to individuals associated with a particular fortress or castle.
The earliest known references to the name LAROCCA can be found in historical records from southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Calabria, Campania, and Sicily. These areas were home to numerous fortifications and castles during the Middle Ages, which may have contributed to the name's origins.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname LAROCCA appears in a manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a certain "Guglielmo LAROCCA" from the city of Naples. This record suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname LAROCCA. One such figure was Antonio LAROCCA (1436-1492), a renowned sculptor from the city of Palermo in Sicily. His works adorned many churches and palaces in the region, and he is considered a master of the Renaissance style.
Another prominent LAROCCA was Girolamo LAROCCA (1563-1618), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Naples. He authored several influential works on Catholic doctrine and served as a professor at the prestigious Roman College.
In the 19th century, Vincenzo LAROCCA (1820-1894) was a celebrated Italian painter known for his landscape and genre scenes. He studied at the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Naples and exhibited his works throughout Europe.
The LAROCCA surname also had a presence in the literary world, with the writer and poet Giuseppe LAROCCA (1876-1942) from Calabria. His works often explored themes of rural life and the struggles of the peasantry in southern Italy.
Lastly, Tommaso LAROCCA (1921-2006) was a distinguished Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament for several terms in the late 20th century, representing the Christian Democratic party.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have carried the surname LAROCCA throughout the centuries, originating from its roots as a descriptive term for those associated with fortified structures in medieval Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larocca
Among Census respondents with the surname Larocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Larocca bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Larocca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 3,816
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 287
- Two or more races2.2% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 39
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larocca
Larocca appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,567
+35 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 465 places
2020
#7,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,257
-310 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,836 | 4,532 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,301 | 4,567 | 1.55 | +35 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 465 places |
| 2020 | #7,532 | 4,257 | 1.42 | -310 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 231 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Larocca surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,301 | #7,532 | -3.2% |
| Count | 4,567 | 4,257 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.42 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larocca bearers went from 4,567 to 4,257 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 231 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,301 to #7,532.
FAQ
Larocca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larocca?
Name Census estimates that about 4,882 living Americans carry the surname Larocca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,208 residents.
How common is Larocca?
Larocca ranks #7,532 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,257 people with the surname Larocca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,882), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Larocca.
Has Larocca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larocca went from 4,567 recorded bearers to 4,257. That is a decrease of 310 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,301 to #7,532.
What does the Census say about the background of Larocca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Larocca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (3,816 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larocca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Larocca (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Larocca mean?
An Italian toponymic surname derived from the place name La Rocca, meaning "the fortress" or "the castle." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Larocca (1.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Larocca?
Find out how many people are called Larocca on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.