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

Rochester, 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 Rochester surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rochester in America

Rochester is the 8238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rochester surname appeared 4,024 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rochester.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rochester 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 Rochester

The surname Rochester has its origins in England, where it is derived from the place name Rochester, a city in Kent. The name Rochester itself is believed to come from the Old English words "hróc" meaning "brook" and "ceaster" meaning "Roman town or camp," referring to the city's location on the River Medway.

Rochester is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records the city as "Rovecestre" and "Rovecestre." This indicates that the surname was likely in use by the late 11th century or shortly after, as surnames derived from place names became more common during this period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rochester is in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, which mention a Robertus de Rovecestre. This suggests that the surname had already been adopted by some families by the late 12th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname Rochester include John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), an English poet and courtier known for his satirical and libertine writings. Another is Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831), an American settler and founder of the city of Rochester, New York.

In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Rowchester" or "Rouchester," reflecting the various ways the place name was pronounced and written over time. The 17th century saw the rise of the "Rochester" spelling, which became the predominant form.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Rochester include Thomas Rochester (1588-1646), an English clergyman and writer, and John Rochester (1647-1696), an English Baptist minister and author.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rochester

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

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

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

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