# Rock (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/rock/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a rock or an oak ( atter + oke ).

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Norse |
| Type | occupational, named after the work an ancestor did |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 19,313 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,859 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 15,986 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.3% (18,510 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

* As an English surname, from the noun rock. Compare Roach. * Also as an English surname, misdivision of Middle English atter oke (“at the oak”). Compare Nock. * As an English occupational surname, from Old Norse rokkr (“distaff”). Compare Rocker. * As an Irish surname, translated from names like Mac Conchairge (“son of the hound of the rock”), from cú + carraig, see also McHarg. * As a German surname Röck, variant of the personal name Rocco, see Roche. * Also as a German surname, from the noun Rock (“skirt gown”). * As a French surname, shortened from Roquebrune, Rocquebrune (see Rocque) or Larock. Compare Roch.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Rock in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 8.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.0% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Rock in the United States and Austria.

## People named Rock

- Chris Rock, American comedian, actor and filmmaker (born 1965)
- Jay Rock, American rapper (born 1985)
- Aesop Rock, American rapper and producer
- Joseph Rock, Austrian-American scientist-explorer (1884-1962)
- Blossom Rock, American actress (1895–1978)
- Andrew Rock, American sprinter
- Rob Rock, American heavy metal singer
- Joe Rock, American actor and filmmaker (1893-1984)
- Arthur Rock, American businessman (born 1926)
- John Rock, American scientist

## Similar surnames

Rook, Rick, Roca, Reck, Rockey, Ruck, Rocha, Roach, Roche, Rooks, Rocco, Royce.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.