Explore the Family Name Rock
The meaning of Rock
1. English: from Middle English rok(ke) ‘rock’. The surname may be topographic, denoting someone who lived near a notable rock or rocky outcrop, or habitational, denoting someone from a place called with this word, such as Rock (Northumberland). Compare Roach. 2. English: from a misdivision of the Middle English phrase atter oke ‘at the oak’. The surname may be topographic, signifying someone who lived by a prominent oak tree, or habitational, denoting someone from a place so named, such as Rock (Worcestershire), Rook in Cornwood (Devon), and Rock in Washington (Sussex). Compare Nock. 3. English: perhaps a nickname for a spinner or a maker of distaffs from Middle English rok(ke) ‘distaff’ (from Old Norse rokkr or Middle Dutch rocke or an unattested Old English cognate). Compare Rocker. 4. Irish: in Ireland this is usually the English name, but it has also been adopted for Mac Conchairge, literally ‘son of the hound of the rock’; see McHarg. 5. German (also Röck): from the ancient Germanic personal name Rocco (see Roche 3). 6. German: metonymic occupational name for a tailor, from Middle High German rok, roc ‘skirt, gown’. 7. Shortened and altered form of southern French Roquebrune or of its variant Rocquebrune (see Rocque 1), or a shortened form of their altered form Larock. Compare Roch 5. History: Some of the American bearers of the surname Rock (see 7 above) are descendants of Philibert Couillaud dit Ro(c)quebrune from France (see Larocque).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rock in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Rock saw some changes in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked at 1779 in terms of frequency, but by 2010, it had dropped slightly to a rank of 1859, representing a decrease of 4.5%. However, the count of individuals with the surname rose from 18,510 to 19,313 during the same period, an increase of 4.34%. The proportion of individuals with the Rock surname per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 6.86 to 6.55.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,779 | #1,859 | -4.5% |
| Count | 18,510 | 19,313 | 4.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.86 | 6.55 | -4.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rock
The ethnic identity associated with the Rock surname also shifted, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 to 2010, there was an increase in the proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.38% to 0.70%) and those reporting two or more races (from 1.36% to 2.00%). Hispanic representation also increased from 1.73% to 2.48%, while Black representation rose from 7.95% to 8.71%. The percentage of people with the Rock surname who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a slight increase from 2.46% to 2.50%. On the other hand, the percentage of people identifying as White decreased from 86.13% to 83.62%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.13% | 83.62% | -2.91% |
| Black | 7.95% | 8.71% | 9.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.46% | 2.5% | 1.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.73% | 2.48% | 43.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.36% | 2% | 47.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.7% | 84.21% |
Rock 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 Rock is British & Irish, which comprises 42.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.9%) and Eastern European (7.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.9% |
| French & German | 25.9% |
| Eastern European | 7.1% |
| Other | 24.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Rock
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 Rock have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
What Rock 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 Rock is R-S5741, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S5741 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fraser, Baker, Cooper, Fox, White, Hines, Lowe, Kline, Smith, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rock surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 Rock 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.
"Rock" Surname 43.9%
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.
"Rock" Surname 28.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rock" Surname 19.5%
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.
"Rock" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rock?
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 Rock are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition