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Roche History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Roche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Ireland

Etymology of Roche

What does the name Roche mean?

From the beautiful region of Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), in France, comes the distinguished surname Roche. Roche is a topographic surname, a type of hereditary surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The name Roche is derived from the French word "roche," meaning "rock," and indicates that the original bearer was distinguished by residence near a prominent rock.

Early Origins of the Roche family

The surname Roche was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where this ancient family was recognized as one of the original families of the region. Saint Roch or Rocco (c. 1295-1327) was a Catholic saint, a confessor. He is a patron saint of dogs, falsely accused people, and bachelors. He may have been born c. 1348 and died c. 1376.

The house of des Roches de Chassay was cited since 1275. The family des Roches de Chassay had their nobility confirmed in 1663, after heroic service at the siege of Hesdin. The county of Bigorre, in Burgundy, was the cradle of the house de la Roche-Fontenille, distinguished by their alliances and who occupied in the twelfth century a high rank in the nobility of the province. Two of their members took part in the first crusade of Saint-Louis, but their affiliation was not established until Sanche de la Roche, lord of Fontenille, deceased in the year 1318.

Jean Desroches, born in 1621, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Françoise Gode, born in 1636, daughter of Nicolas and Françoise (née Gadois), at Montreal on 18th November 1647. They remained together in Quebec until Jean's death on 23rd August 1684. 1

Early History of the Roche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roche research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1470, 1530, 1644, 1658, 1668, 1710, 1724, 1741, 1797 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Roche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roche Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roche, Delaroche, Deroche, Desroches, Desrochers, Laroche, La Roche and many more.

Early Notables of the Roche family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Estienne de La Roche (1470-1530), a French mathematician
Anne de La Roche-Guilhem (1644-1710), a French writer

Roche World Ranking

In the United States, the name Roche is the 2,053^rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Roche is ranked the 278^th most popular surname with an estimated 160 people with that name. 3 And in France, the name Roche is the 62^nd popular surname with an estimated 37,560 people with that name. 4 Australia ranks Roche as 745^th with 5,219 people. 5

Roche migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roche Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Roche, who settled in Virginia in 1637
Charles DeLa Roche, who arrived in Maryland in 1666-1750 6

Roche Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Suzanna Roche, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1702 6
Louis De Roche, aged 26, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 6
Mary Roche, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 6

Roche Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Roche, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 6
David Roche, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 6
James Roche, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 6
John Roche, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 6
Edward L Roche, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roche migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roche Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Roch Roche, who arrived in Acadia in 1636
Mr. Jacques Roche, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 2nd April 1665 7

Roche Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cornelius Roche, who landed in Canada in 1823
Denis Roche, who landed in Canada in 1823
Thomas Roche, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
Edmond Roche, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
Bridget Ronan Roche, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1831
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roche migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Roche Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Roche, (b. 1805), aged 22, Irish farm servant who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life for abduction, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Carlton William Roche, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Miss Mary Roche, (b. 1818), aged 19, Irish house maid who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Edward Roche, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11
Eliza Roche, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Constance" 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roche migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Roche Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Roche, aged 40, a painter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 13
Mary Roche, aged 30, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 13
William Roche, aged 6, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 13
Francis Roche, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 13
Mr. Charles Roche, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Roche (post 1700) +

Eamonn Kevin Roche FAIA (1922-2019), Irish-born, American Pritzker Prize-winning architect
Eugene Harrison Roche (1928-2004), American actor, best known as the original "Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials
Joseph Roche (b. 1967), American Iraq War veteran and conservative commentator
Frank Lloyd Roche (b. 1959), American writer and businessman
James G. Roche (b. 1939), American 20th Secretary of the Air Force
Edward Roche, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1960
Dominick H. Roche, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 3rd District, 1871-73
Daniel Roche, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 4th District, 1986
Chali Roche, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1980
Carl D. Roche, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Keene 5th Ward; Elected 1938
... (Another 50 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Roche family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Patrick James Roche, Irish Leading Stoker from Macroom, County Cork, Ireland, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15

USS Indianapolis

Joseph Marzie Roche, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 16

Sources +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Constance.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew