2000
#16,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Rocca
A surname derived from the Italian word "rocca" meaning a fortress or citadel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,071 Americans carry the last name Rocca. That puts it at #15,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,502 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rocca 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rocca with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,502
Census rank
#15,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,806 bearers of the surname Rocca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rocca
The surname Rocca finds its origins in Italy, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "rocca," which means a rock or fortress, indicating a connection to someone who lived near or worked in a fortified structure.
The earliest known bearers of the name can be traced back to regions such as Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lazio. In these areas, the Rocca name was associated with noble families who held positions of power and influence within their local communities.
Historical records show that the name appeared in various medieval documents, including the registers of the Republic of Genoa in the 13th century. This suggests that members of the Rocca family were actively involved in the maritime trade and commerce of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 14th century, when a certain Guglielmo Rocca (c. 1320-1385) was a renowned architect and military engineer from Genoa. He was responsible for designing and constructing several fortifications and defensive structures throughout Italy.
Another notable figure was Pier Luigi Rocca (1520-1577), a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church during the 16th century. He held influential positions within the church and played a significant role in the Council of Trent, a pivotal event in the Counter-Reformation.
In the realm of art, the name Rocca is associated with Tommaso Rocca (1600-1670), a distinguished Italian painter from the Baroque period. His works, which often depicted religious themes, can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
During the Renaissance, the Rocca family also gained prominence in the field of literature. Antonio Rocca (1585-1653), a poet and writer from Naples, was celebrated for his poetic works, including the epic poem "La Roccheide."
Another noteworthy figure was Massimiliano Rocca (1765-1840), a military leader and statesman from the Kingdom of Sardinia. He played a crucial role in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Prime Minister of Sardinia from 1832 to 1835.
The Rocca surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy, such as Rocca di Papa, a town in the province of Rome, and Rocca Priora, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rocca
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rocca 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 Rocca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 1,411
- Hispanic or Latino18.3% · 330
- Two or more races2.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rocca
Rocca 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
#16,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,748
+187 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 379 places
2020
#15,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,806
+58 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 869 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,829 | 1,561 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,450 | 1,748 | 0.59 | +187 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 379 places |
| 2020 | #15,581 | 1,806 | 0.60 | +58 bearers (+3.3%) | Up 869 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 Rocca 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 | #16,450 | #15,581 | 5.3% |
| Count | 1,748 | 1,806 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.60 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rocca bearers went from 1,748 to 1,806 (+3.3% change). The surname moved up 869 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,450 to #15,581.
FAQ
Rocca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rocca?
Name Census estimates that about 2,071 living Americans carry the surname Rocca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,502 residents.
How common is Rocca?
Rocca ranks #15,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,806 people with the surname Rocca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,071), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Rocca.
Has Rocca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rocca went from 1,748 recorded bearers to 1,806. That is an increase of 58 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,450 to #15,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Rocca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocca, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Rocca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (1,411 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rocca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Hispanic (18.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Rocca (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 Rocca mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "rocca" meaning a fortress or citadel. 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 Rocca (0.60 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 many Americans have the surname Rocca?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.