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

Roche, 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 Roche surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roche in America

Roche is the 1895th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roche surname appeared 18,940 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Roche.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roche 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 Roche

The surname Roche originated in France, specifically in the Auvergne region. It dates back to the early medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century. The name derives from the Old French word "roche," which means "rock" or "rocky terrain." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or in a rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Roche can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Rupe," which is the Latin equivalent of "Roche."

In the 12th century, the name Roche was associated with the noble family of Roche, who held lands in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Sir John de la Roche, born around 1180, was a prominent member of this family and served as a knight and military commander during the reign of King John.

Another notable figure with the surname Roche was Peter Roche, born in Ireland in 1390. He was a Franciscan friar and theologian who became the Archbishop of Armagh and served as the Primate of All Ireland from 1436 until his death in 1470.

During the Renaissance period, the name Roche was carried by several prominent artists and writers. François de la Roche, born in 1554, was a French poet and dramatist who wrote plays and poems in the Renaissance style. Étienne de la Roche, born in 1554, was a French painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 18th century, Roche was the surname of Sir Boyle Roche, an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons. He was born in 1743 and is remembered for his amusing and often nonsensical remarks, such as "A man cannot be said to have eaten his dinner until he has had his dessert."

Moving forward to the 19th century, Sophie Roche, born in 1730, was a German novelist and playwright known for her novel "Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim," which was influential in the development of the epistolary novel genre.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Roche, showcasing its rich heritage and presence across various countries and fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roche

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

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

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

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