2000
#12,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,350
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Rochon
A French topographic surname for someone living near a rock, rocky crag, or stony ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,582 Americans carry the last name Rochon. That puts it at #13,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rochon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,748
Census rank
#13,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,252 bearers of the surname Rochon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rochon, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rochon
The surname Rochon is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "roche," meaning "rock" or "rocky place." It is believed to have originated as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or in a rocky area.
The earliest recorded instances of the Rochon surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. These areas were known for their rugged landscapes and rocky terrains, which likely influenced the adoption of the name.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records and documents, such as the Livre des Bourgeois, a register of citizens in the city of Reims. One notable figure from this time was Jean Rochon, a merchant from the town of Calais, who is mentioned in the town's archives from the year 1285.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Rochon surname spread across France as families migrated to different regions. Several individuals with this name achieved recognition, including Jacques Rochon (1530-1602), a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several churches and buildings in Paris.
In the 18th century, the surname Rochon gained further prominence with the birth of Alexis Marie Rochon (1741-1817), a French scientist and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of optics and is particularly known for his work on the micrometer and the development of a new method for measuring the refractive indices of transparent substances.
Another notable figure was François Rochon (1772-1848), a French general who served under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. He played a crucial role in several battles and was later appointed as the Governor of Paris.
As the Rochon family continued to expand, the surname eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the 19th century, Louis Rochon (1830-1905), a French-Canadian explorer and surveyor, is credited with mapping a significant portion of the Canadian Northwest Territories.
While the Rochon surname has its roots in France, it has become more widespread over the centuries, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with French cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rochon
Among Census respondents with the surname Rochon, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rochon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rochon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.4% · 1,541
- Black or African American20.0% · 450
- Two or more races4.7% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rochon
Rochon appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,573
+223 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 42 places
2020
#13,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,252
-321 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,157 | 2,350 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,115 | 2,573 | 0.87 | +223 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 42 places |
| 2020 | #13,032 | 2,252 | 0.75 | -321 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 917 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rochon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,115 | #13,032 | -7.6% |
| Count | 2,573 | 2,252 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.75 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rochon bearers went from 2,573 to 2,252 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 917 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,115 to #13,032.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rochon
FAQ
Rochon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rochon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,582 living Americans carry the surname Rochon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,748 residents.
How common is Rochon?
Rochon ranks #13,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,252 people with the surname Rochon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,582), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rochon.
Has Rochon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rochon went from 2,573 recorded bearers to 2,252. That is a decrease of 321 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,115 to #13,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Rochon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rochon, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rochon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (1,541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rochon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.4%), Black (20.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rochon (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rochon mean?
A French topographic surname for someone living near a rock, rocky crag, or stony ground. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rochon (0.75 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Rochon?
See how many Americans have the surname Rochon on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.