2000
#1,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,905
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.64
Uncommon Last name
Roche
A topographic surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a rock, rocky outcrop, or boulder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,023 Americans carry the last name Roche. That puts it at #1,924 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,304 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roche 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 Roche with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,304
Census rank
#1,924
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,333 bearers of the surname Roche in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1924th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roche, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roche
Among Census respondents with the surname Roche, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Roche 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 Roche surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 14,104
- Hispanic or Latino15.0% · 2,757
- Black or African American4.4% · 815
- Two or more races2.3% · 423
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 209
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roche
Roche 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
#1,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,940
+1,035 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 6.42
Rank movement Down 50 places
2020
#1,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,333
-607 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 6.13
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,845 | 17,905 | 6.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,895 | 18,940 | 6.42 | +1,035 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 50 places |
| 2020 | #1,924 | 18,333 | 6.13 | -607 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 29 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 Roche 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 | #1,895 | #1,924 | -1.5% |
| Count | 18,940 | 18,333 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.42 | 6.13 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roche bearers went from 18,940 to 18,333 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,895 to #1,924.
FAQ
Roche surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roche?
Name Census estimates that about 21,023 living Americans carry the surname Roche. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,304 residents.
How common is Roche?
Roche ranks #1,924 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,333 people with the surname Roche. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,023), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Roche.
Has Roche become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roche went from 18,940 recorded bearers to 18,333. That is a decrease of 607 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,895 to #1,924.
What does the Census say about the background of Roche?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roche, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Roche in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (14,104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roche appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Hispanic (15.0%), Black (4.4%). 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 Roche (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 Roche mean?
A topographic surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a rock, rocky outcrop, or boulder. 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 Roche (6.13 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 common is the surname Roche?
Find out how many people are called Roche on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.