Explore the Family Name Roach
The meaning of Roach
English: 1. of Norman origin, from Old French and Middle English roche ‘rock, cliff, promontory’, sometimes a translation of Stone. The surname may have been topographic, denoting someone who lived on or by a prominent rock or rocky place, or a habitational name for someone who lived or came from a place so named, such as one of those called Roque or Roche(s) in Normandy and neighboring regions, or Roche in Cornwall, Roach Farm in Clyst Hydon (Devon), or Roch in Pembrokeshire (see Roch). 2. in Lancashire perhaps referring to the River Roch, which runs through Rochdale; the river name is probably a back-formation from Recedham, an early name for Rochdale recorded in 1086, derived from Old English reced ‘building, house, hall’ + hām ‘village, homestead’. Alternatively, the Lancashire name could be a shortened form of the now rare or extinct surname Rochdale alias Rachedale, Rachdall, a habitational name from Rochdale (Lancashire). From the 18th century onward the name is difficult to distinguish from Roch, borne by Irish migrants to South Lancashire, especially Liverpool.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Roach in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Roach has slightly decreased over a decade. In 2000, Roach was ranked 704th in terms of popularity among surnames and by 2010 it had dropped to the 764th spot, indicating a decrease of 8.52%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Roach surname increased from 44,454 in 2000 to 45,019 in 2010, showing a growth of 1.27%. However, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 people declined by 7.4%, from 16.48 in 2000 to 15.26 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #704 | #764 | -8.52% |
| Count | 44,454 | 45,019 | 1.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 16.48 | 15.26 | -7.4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Roach
When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnicity identifying with the Roach surname remained White, although their percentage dropped from 82.24% to 80.26%. There was a significant increase of 50.57% within the Hispanic group, rising from 1.76% in 2000 to 2.65% in 2010. The Black community also saw a modest increase of 5.74%, moving from 13.23% in 2000 to 13.99% in 2010. Although small in overall numbers, the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities both experienced increases, 13.64% and 10.53% respectively. The percent of individuals identifying as two or more races also rose from 1.58% to 1.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.24% | 80.26% | -2.41% |
| Black | 13.23% | 13.99% | 5.74% |
| Hispanic | 1.76% | 2.65% | 50.57% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 1.76% | 11.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.76% | 0.84% | 10.53% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.5% | 13.64% |
Roach ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Roach is British & Irish, which comprises 54.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Eastern European (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.6% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.3% |
| Other | 20.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Roach
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Roach have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
What Roach haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Roach is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L226 and E-M78, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Roche, Davis, Morris, Thomas, Richards, Williams, Roberts, Bennett, Harrison, Evans.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Roach surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Roach have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Roach" Surname 40.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Roach" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Roach" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Roach" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Roach?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Roach are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition