Roach
A surname usually derived from French Roche, meaning “rock,” often linked to a place or landmark.
The #764 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,858 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Roach is generally treated as an English form of French Roche, from a word meaning “rock” or “rocky outcrop.” In surname use, it likely began as a locational name for someone who lived near a prominent rock, cliff, or place called La Roche. Some 19th-century writers also describe it as an imitative Anglicized spelling of de la Roche in medieval records.
History
The name appears in medieval English records in forms such as de la Roche, and later spelling shift produced Roach alongside Roche. It is established in Britain and Ireland and later carried to North America and other English-speaking countries. In the United States, Roach has been present for centuries and is now a moderately common surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same French root gave English the common word “rock” in place names and surnames, making Roach a classic example of a name that began as a landscape label.
From the historical record
“RIXON. See Richard. ROACH. See Roche. ROADNIGHT. A- Sax. rad, and cnigJif, a riding servitor, or attendant on horse- back. In feudal times, rodhnights were " certain servitors, who held their lands by serving their lords on horseback." Jacob's Law Diet. Spelmau's Gloss. In Piers Ploughman we meet with '…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom