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

Roches, 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 Roches surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roches in America

Roches is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roches surname appeared 144 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 Roches.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roches 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 Roches

The surname ROCHES is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "roche" meaning "rock" or "rocky terrain." It likely originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or in a rocky, mountainous area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 11th century in Normandy, France. The name appears in various medieval records and documents, including the famous Domesday Book, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Entries such as "de la Roche" and "de Rupe" (Latin for "rock") can be found in the Domesday Book, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in Normandy at that time.

One notable bearer of the ROCHES surname was Peter des Roches, an influential bishop and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor of England under King John and King Henry III in the early 13th century. He played a significant role in the political affairs of the time and was known for his conflict with the barons who sought to limit the power of the monarchy.

Another prominent figure with this surname was John de Roches, a 13th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman and military commander. He served as Seneschal of Gascony and took part in the Seventh Crusade to the Holy Land under Louis IX of France.

In the 14th century, the ROCHES name can be found in various records and charters from the region of Poitou in western France. One notable example is Guichard de la Roche, a knight and lord of the manor of Laubressière, whose name appears in documents from the 1330s.

The name ROCHES also has connections to several place names in France, such as La Roche-sur-Yon, a town in the Vendée department, and La Roche-Posay, a commune in the Vienne department. These place names likely derived from the same root word "roche" and may have influenced the surname's development in those regions.

Other notable bearers of the ROCHES surname include Jacques de la Roche, a 16th-century French explorer and navigator who participated in expeditions to the Americas, and Jean-François de La Roche, a 17th-century French Jesuit missionary who traveled to New France (now Canada) and worked among the indigenous populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roches

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

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

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

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