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

Rouco, 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 Rouco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rouco in America

Rouco is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rouco surname appeared 167 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 Rouco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rouco 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 Rouco

The surname Rouco is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. Its roots lie in the Galician-Portuguese word "rouco," which means "hoarse" or "husky-voiced," likely referring to a distinct vocal quality or speech pattern of an early ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rouco can be found in the 13th-century Galician-Portuguese medieval manuscript "Cantigas de Santa Maria," which contains references to individuals bearing this surname. This suggests that the name was already established in the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula during that time period.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Gonzalo Rouco was mentioned in historical records as a military commander who played a role in the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands. His achievements and involvement in these campaigns likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the Rouco surname across Spain.

During the 16th century, the Rouco name appeared in various documents and records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, indicating that individuals with this surname had participated in the exploration and settlement of the New World.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Rouco was Juan Rouco, a Spanish explorer and navigator who was born in Seville around 1520. He participated in several expeditions to the Caribbean and South America, contributing to the mapping and exploration of the region.

Another noteworthy figure was Pedro Rouco, a Spanish soldier and conquistador born in Extremadura in the late 16th century. He joined the expeditions of Hernán Cortés and participated in the conquest of Mexico, playing a significant role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire.

In the 17th century, the Rouco surname gained prominence in the Canary Islands, particularly on the island of Tenerife. One notable individual from this period was Bartolomé Rouco, a wealthy landowner and influential figure in the local society, who lived from 1625 to 1698.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Rouco appeared in records from various regions of Spain, including Galicia, Asturias, and Castile. A prominent figure from this era was José Rouco, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1773 to 1776.

In the 19th century, the Rouco surname gained further recognition with individuals such as Manuel Rouco, a Spanish philosopher and writer born in Seville in 1825. He made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and metaphysics and was highly regarded for his intellectual prowess.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rouco

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

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

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

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