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

Rocco, 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 Rocco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rocco in America

Rocco is the 5289th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rocco surname appeared 6,583 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rocco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rocco 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 Rocco

The surname Rocco has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian personal name Rocco, which itself is a form of the Germanic name Hroch, meaning "rest" or "repose."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Rocco Porzio, an Italian philosopher and humanist born in Naples in 1479. His works, published in the early 16th century, contributed to the spread of Renaissance ideas in Italy.

In the 13th century, a Benedictine monk named Rocco is said to have dedicated his life to caring for victims of the plague in various parts of Italy. His veneration as a saint, particularly in Palermo and Naples, may have contributed to the popularity of the name Rocco in those regions.

The surname Rocco can also be traced back to the town of Rocca Priora, located near Rome. It is possible that the name originated as a locative surname, referring to individuals who hailed from this particular town or its surrounding areas.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Rocco Benedetto Guicciardini, an Italian politician and historian born in Florence in 1561. He is best known for his historical work "Cose Fiorentine," which chronicled the political events of Florence during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, Rocco Galdieri, born in Naples in 1722, gained recognition as a prolific composer of Neapolitan opera and sacred music. His works were performed throughout Italy and contributed to the vibrant musical culture of the time.

The name Rocco has also been associated with Sicily, where it was common in various towns and villages. For instance, Rocco Toscano, a Sicilian painter born in Palermo in 1807, is renowned for his depictions of rural life and landscapes in his native region.

While the surname Rocco is most prevalent in Italy, it has also been found in other parts of Europe and the Americas, likely due to Italian immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rocco

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

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

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

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