Find out how popular the last name LaRocco is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named LaRocco.

LaRocco, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the LaRocco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaRocco in America

LaRocco is the 15262nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaRocco surname appeared 1,925 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname LaRocco.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaRocco to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name LaRocco

The surname LaRocco is of Italian origin, specifically from the regions of Calabria and Sicily in Southern Italy. It dates back to the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "la rocca," which means "the rock" or "the fortress." This suggests that the name may have been given to families who lived near or worked in a fortified castle or tower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LaRocco can be found in the Catalogus Baronum, a medieval document from the late 12th century that lists the Norman feudal barons in the Kingdom of Sicily. This document mentions a certain "Rogerius de la Rocca" among the barons.

In the 13th century, a man named Matteo LaRocco was recorded as a prominent figure in the city of Reggio Calabria. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's affairs during that time.

During the Renaissance period, a painter named Francesco LaRocco (c. 1480-1545) gained recognition for his work in the Calabrian town of Tropea. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes in local churches.

In the 17th century, a scholar and jurist named Girolamo LaRocco (1628-1698) made his mark in Naples. He was a professor of law at the University of Naples and authored several legal treatises that were widely respected at the time.

Another notable individual with the surname LaRocco was Vincenzo LaRocca (1787-1865), a Sicilian patriot and revolutionary who played a role in the risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification in the 19th century. He was a member of the Sicilian parliament and fought against the Bourbon monarchy.

Over the centuries, the spelling of the name has varied slightly, with variations such as LaRocca, La Rocca, and LaRocco appearing in different regions of Italy. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaRocco

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname LaRocco.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for LaRocco was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of LaRocco has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name LaRocco was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of LaRocco, please contact us.

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