Roca History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

Etymology of Roca

What does the name Roca mean?

The noble surname Roca is of Spanish descent, and is of locative origin, deriving from a topographic characteristic near the place where the original bearer lived or owned land. The name Roca is derived from the Catalan word "roca" meaning "rock" or "tower of strength."

Early Origins of the Roca family

The surname Roca was first found in the region of Catalonia, an area allied with the powerful kingdom of Aragon during the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Roca family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roca research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1358, 1360 and 1401 are included under the topic Early Roca History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roca Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roco, Rocas, Rocca, Rocha and others.

Early Notables of the Roca family

Prominent among bearers of the family name in this era was

Bernardo Roca, who was granted his nobility by king Don Pedro IV of Aragon in 1360

Roca Ranking

In the United States, the name Roca is the 12,341^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Roca is ranked the 1,279^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,414 people with that name. 2

Roca migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roca Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francisco DeLa Roca, who landed in America in 1817 3
Esteban DeLa Roca, who arrived in America in 1828 3
Catalina DeLa Roca, who landed in America in 1829 3
Gregorio Roca, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 3
Juan Roca, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1875 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Roca (post 1700) +

Pete La Roca (b. 1938), American jazz drummer
Renée Roca (b. 1963), American ice dancer and choreographer
Joaquín Martínez de la Roca (1676-1747), Spanish composer
Miguel Roca (b. 1956), Spanish Olympic fencer
Emma Roca (b. 1973), Spanish ski mountaineer
Albert Roca (b. 1982), Spanish handball player
Joaquín Roca (1923-2004), Peruvian sculptor
Gaspar Roca (1926-2007), Puerto Rican journalist and economist
Sorin Roca (b. 1960), Romanian Olympic fencer
José Antonio Roca (1928-2007), Mexican football player and manager
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)