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

Rockey, 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 Rockey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rockey in America

Rockey is the 11736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rockey surname appeared 2,670 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 Rockey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rockey 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 Rockey

The surname Rockey has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "roc," which means a rock or a boulder, combined with the diminutive suffix "-y." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or a rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Rockey surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated around 1273, which lists a person named Robyn de la Rokele. This spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English word for rock and indicates that the name may have initially been a descriptive term for someone living near a rocky place.

In the 14th century, the Rockey surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which listed a John Rokky. This spelling variation further emphasizes the link to the Old English word for rock and suggests the surname's evolution over time.

The Rockey surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person is William Rockey (c. 1625-1677), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Gisleham in Suffolk. Another prominent figure is Edward Rockey (1722-1781), an American merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of Wilmington, Delaware.

John Rockey (1736-1819) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his distinguished service.

Mary Rockey (1751-1835) was a notable English Quaker minister and writer who traveled extensively, sharing her religious teachings and advocating for social reforms, particularly in the areas of education and prison reform.

In the 19th century, James Rockey (1819-1890) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist from Ohio. He amassed a substantial fortune through various business ventures and dedicated a significant portion of his wealth to charitable causes, including the establishment of educational institutions.

While the Rockey surname has its roots in England and can be traced back to the 13th century, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rockey

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!