2000
#3,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.01
Uncommon Last name
Roque
Derived from the French word "roc," meaning a stone or boulder, likely referring to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,618 Americans carry the last name Roque. That puts it at #2,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roque 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 Roque with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,471
Census rank
#2,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,108 bearers of the surname Roque in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roque, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roque
The surname ROQUE has its origins in Spain, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "roca," which means "rock" or "rocky area," suggesting that the name may have initially been associated with people living in or near rocky or mountainous regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ROQUE can be found in the Catalan region of Spain during the 13th century. It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname, identifying individuals based on their occupation or place of residence.
In the 14th century, records show the name ROQUE appearing in various parts of Spain, including Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Roch" or "Roca," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Notable individuals bearing the surname ROQUE include Juan Roque, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Another prominent figure was Pedro Roque de Ursúa, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led an expedition into the Amazon region of South America in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the surname ROQUE gained prominence in the arts, with Juan Roque de Alvarado, a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. Miguel Roque Florido, a Spanish poet and playwright, also made significant contributions to literature during this period.
As the Spanish Empire expanded its influence throughout the Americas and other parts of the world, the surname ROQUE spread to various regions. In the 18th century, Antonio Roque de Brizuela, a Spanish military officer, served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1760 to 1768.
Over time, the surname ROQUE has been associated with various place names and geographic locations, including Roca Roja (Red Rock) in the Canary Islands and Roque Prieto (Black Rock) in the Azores Islands, reflecting the name's connection to rocky landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roque
Among Census respondents with the surname Roque, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Roque 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 Roque surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino76.8% · 13,146
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.4% · 1,947
- White8.1% · 1,388
- Black or African American1.9% · 325
- Two or more races1.6% · 273
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roque
Roque 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
#2,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,203
+4,397 bearers (+40.7%)
Per 100,000 5.15
Rank movement Up 688 places
2020
#2,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,108
+1,905 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 5.72
Rank movement Up 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,076 | 10,806 | 4.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,388 | 15,203 | 5.15 | +4,397 bearers (+40.7%) | Up 688 places |
| 2020 | #2,059 | 17,108 | 5.72 | +1,905 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 329 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 Roque 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 | #2,388 | #2,059 | 13.8% |
| Count | 15,203 | 17,108 | 12.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.15 | 5.72 | 11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roque bearers went from 15,203 to 17,108 (+12.5% change). The surname moved up 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,388 to #2,059.
FAQ
Roque surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roque?
Name Census estimates that about 19,618 living Americans carry the surname Roque. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,471 residents.
How common is Roque?
Roque ranks #2,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.72 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 17,108 people with the surname Roque. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,618), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.72 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 Roque.
Has Roque become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roque went from 15,203 recorded bearers to 17,108. That is an increase of 1,905 (+12.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,388 to #2,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Roque?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roque, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (8.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Roque in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.8% (13,146 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roque appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (76.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%), White (8.1%). 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 Roque (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 Roque mean?
Derived from the French word "roc," meaning a stone or boulder, likely referring to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation. 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 Roque (5.72 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 many people have the surname Roque?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.