Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Roscoe

    A boy’s name from Norse meaning “roebuck”, “forest”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Norse origin

    Roscoe means “roebuck”, “forest” in Norse.

    From a place in Lancashire, from Old Norse rá (“roebuck”) + skógr (“forest”).

    More names that mean forest.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 40 boys were named Roscoe, making it the 811th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 57 births (#628).

    03060 1996200020052010201520202025
    638
    babies named Roscoe, 1996–2025
    #811
    rank in 2025
    2017
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Roscoe with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Roscoe at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 63 boys born in the United States were named Roscoe, the 2,248th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 604 were.

    0350700 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    22,170
    babies named Roscoe since 1880
    #2,248
    rank in 2025
    1920
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    • Rosco
    • Roscow

    Famous people named Roscoe

    17 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Roscoe Arbuckle
      American actor, director and comedian, 1887–1933
    • Roscoe Lee Browne
      American actor and director (1922–2007)
    • Roscoe Lockwood
      American rower (1875–1960)
    • Roscoe Orman
      American actor, born 1944
    • Roscoe Conkling
      American politician (1829–1888)
    • Roscoe Karns
      Actor (1891-1970)
    • Roscoe Bartlett
      American politician (born 1926)
    • Roscoe Ates
      American actor (1895–1962)
    • Roscoe Mitchell
      American jazz musician (born 1940)
    • Roscoe C. Patterson
      American politician (1876–1954)
    • Roscoe Dash
      American rapper and singer, born 1990
    • Roscoe C. McCulloch
      American politician (1880–1958)

    More Norse boys’ names

    All 32 names of Norse origin

    Questions

    What does the name Roscoe mean?
    Roscoe means “roebuck”, “forest” in Norse.
    What is the origin of the name Roscoe?
    From a place in Lancashire, from Old Norse rá (“roebuck”) + skógr (“forest”).
    How popular is the name Roscoe?
    In 2025, 40 boys born in England and Wales were named Roscoe, ranking 811th. Its peak was 2017, with 57 births.
    Is Roscoe a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 22,170 US babies named Roscoe since 1880 were boys.
    When was Roscoe most popular?
    1920 in the United States, when 604 babies were named Roscoe, its highest rank at 214th.
    What are other spellings of Roscoe?
    Rosco and Roscow.
    Is Roscoe also a surname?
    Yes. Roscoe is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.