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

Roc, 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 Roc surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roc in America

Roc is the 60790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roc surname appeared 331 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Roc.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roc 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 Roc

The surname Roc has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "roc," which means "rock" or "boulder." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a prominent rock formation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roc can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Roc, indicating that the name was already established in Normandy during the 11th century.

The Roc surname gained further prominence during the Crusades, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Gaston de Roc, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the leadership of King Richard I of England. Gaston's exploits during the Crusades earned him recognition, and his name can be found in various chronicles and manuscripts from that era.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Roc name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It was also associated with several place names, such as Rochefort, Rocquencourt, and Rocquigny, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean de Roc (c. 1320-1390) played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He served as a military commander under King Charles V of France and was instrumental in several key battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

Another prominent individual with the Roc surname was François de Roc (1495-1560), a French diplomat and statesman who served as the ambassador to England during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was known for his diplomatic skills and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between France and England.

During the Renaissance period, the Roc surname gained further recognition with the birth of the French poet and playwright, Pierre de Roc (1550-1622). His works, which included plays and sonnets, were highly acclaimed and contributed to the cultural landscape of the time.

As the centuries passed, the Roc surname continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and military figures. Some notable examples include the French painter Édouard de Roc (1817-1895), whose landscapes and portraitures captured the essence of 19th-century France, and General Henri de Roc (1865-1943), a decorated military commander during World War I.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roc

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

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 Roc 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 Roc 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 Roc was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!