Rocco

jennylove1084 · August 2011

From what I can find, this name is from German and Italian origin and happens to be the name of a Catholic Saint (from maybe 1285)?

DH and I love it if Deuce is a boy. We live in the Midwest and people tend to have closed minds, so we are getting a lot of cringing. My coworker went as far as to tell me that the name is South American so my kid can't pull it off.

However, we are very interested in names, so we like this type of name. We also have a fairly easy and common last name - similar to White - so names like James, etc. don't work.

Thoughts? Also, if the information I mentioned above is incorrect, could you please steer me to a site where I can get accurate facts?

526SadieSadie · August 2011

I used to attend St. Rocco's church when I was little. I believe he is a patron saint of animals, the statue of him in front shows hims with a dog and birds.

It's a strong name, I like it! You'd probably get cringing with a lot of names, traditional or not. The important thing is that you and your DH love the name.

Moneypenny424 · August 2011

When I think of Rocco, I think of a little Italian boy...or Rocky Balboa. I think it is a fine name, but also think it is a little odd without an Italian connection (sort of like how I would feel odd naming my child Siobhan or something because I'm not Irish). Having said that, I wouldn't give anyone the side-eye for using it.

ETA: since it is a saint name, I wouldn't think it odd for a Catholic to use it either.

krissyh21 · August 2011

GENDER: Masculine

USAGE: Italian, Ancient Germanic

Meaning & History

Germanic name derived from the element hrok meaning "rest". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.

Related Names

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VARIANT: Rochus (Ancient Germanic)

OTHER LANGUAGES: Roc (Catalan), Roko (Croatian), Rochus (Dutch), Roch (French), Rokus (Frisian), Rochus (German), Roch (Polish), Roque (Portuguese), Rok (Slovene), Roque (Spanish)

Behind the name is a great site to look up origins of names. My stepfather mn is Rocco after his grandfather, they are both Italian so when I hear this name I always view an Italian influence.

animalcrckr · August 2011

Do you happen to live in Youngstown, OH? I know a bunch of Italian Catholic families that have many Roccos in that part of the world.

That's my only experience with Rocco. Personally, would never name my child that but if you like it, go with it. You cannot get to concerned with other people's opinions.

jennylove1084 · August 2011

animalcrckr:

Do you happen to live in Youngstown, OH? I know a bunch of Italian Catholic families that have many Roccos in that part of the world.

That's my only experience with Rocco. Personally, would never name my child that but if you like it, go with it. You cannot get to concerned with other people's opinions.

Nope, South Dakota...I don't think there are many Italians here. I can't be concerned with my regions opinion because if it's not John or David they aren't going to like it, but I wanted to make sure we weren't making a national mistake - pretty sure we weren't.

anna7602 · August 2011

Doesn't Madonna have a son named Rocco? I know she's Italian, but I don't think it would be that weird for a non-Italian to use this name since it's a little more common these days (says the woman who lives on the East Coast surrounded by Italian-Americans).

As for the South American comment, no, Rocco is not a name that is used very commonly in the Spanish-speaking world.

jennylove1084 · August 2011

krissyh21:

GENDER: Masculine

USAGE: Italian, Ancient Germanic

Meaning & History

Germanic name derived from the element hrok meaning "rest". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.

Related Names

See All Relations
Show Family Tree

VARIANT: Rochus (Ancient Germanic)

OTHER LANGUAGES: Roc (Catalan), Roko (Croatian), Rochus (Dutch), Roch (French), Rokus (Frisian), Rochus (German), Roch (Polish), Roque (Portuguese), Rok (Slovene), Roque (Spanish)

Behind the name is a great site to look up origins of names. My stepfather mn is Rocco after his grandfather, they are both Italian so when I hear this name I always view an Italian influence.

Thank you so much, I'll save Behind the name. We aren't Italian, but we are both 25% German, that's why we decided it could work for us.

LaComtesse · August 2011

First off, let me just say that, in reading quickly, I thought you said "DH and I love Deuce if it's a boy" and I was appalled that you would name a child "Deuce" ;-)

Aaaaanyway...

To me, Rocco is reeeeeeeeeeally Italian and, frankly, kind of guidotastic to boot. (And I say this with the kind of love and affection that only an Italian who was born in New Jersey can have.) It's not a bad name and I go back and forth on whether or not I personally like it, but I feel like it works if you're Italian and not so much if you're not. (Kind of, like, if I named my baby Wolfgang when I'm not German.) If you have an Italian background, I'd say it's okay but if not... meh.

(Also: your co-worker said it was "South American"? That's kind of ridiculous, considering South America is made up of 12 different countries that speak dozens of different languages.)

MGM81 · August 2011

@ ann7602

Yea, Madonna's son is named Rocco

I think of Madonna 1st, then an Italian style name but I don't hate it. If you like it then go with it.....I used to live in Rapid City S. Dakota. Don't plan on your kids staying in S.D. forever! Use it!

krissyh21 · August 2011

Oh and I forgot to mention this but we used to call my son Duece too when I was pregnant. Brings back memories.

jennylove1084 · August 2011

LaComtesse:

First off, let me just say that, in reading quickly, I thought you said "DH and I love Deuce if it's a boy" and I was appalled that you would name a child "Deuce" ;-)

Aaaaanyway...

To me, Rocco is reeeeeeeeeeally Italian and, frankly, kind of guidotastic to boot. (And I say this with the kind of love and affection that only an Italian who was born in New Jersey can have.) It's not a bad name and I go back and forth on whether or not I personally like it, but I feel like it works if you're Italian and not so much if you're not. (Kind of, like, if I named my baby Wolfgang when I'm not German.) If you have an Italian background, I'd say it's okay but if not... meh.

(Also: your co-worker said it was "South American"? That's kind of ridiculous, considering South America is made up of 12 different countries that speak dozens of different languages.)

LOL!!!! I never thought of the guido thing, I'm too busy being in love with Rocco DiSpirito, who is extremely attractive....also Italian, so he can pull it off Smile

Let's see if I can PIP our family...Granted I know Baby #2 could look different, but I really think DS1 could pull off Rocco...

magsugar13 · August 2011

Love Rocco

ames71 · August 2011

I love, love, love Rocco. Our last name starts with "Co," so it doesn't work for us, but if it did, it would at the top of my list.

jennylove1084 · August 2011

krissyh21:
Oh and I forgot to mention this but we used to call my son Duece too when I was pregnant. Brings back memories.

Haha!! I love it, it will be kind of funny if Deuce is actually a girl. Poor thing. DS was always "Bun" and it kind of stuck.

Fancy3Face · August 2011

I think of that Nickelodeon cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life".

I like the name a lot though!

sugarpumpkin716 · August 2011

thanks coworker.

it's nmsaa but if the saint reference means something to you then you get a thumbs up from me.

it really does sound more like a pet's name to me though.

tusshie2004 · August 2011

I like Rocco. It sounds Italian to me. I also like the name Roscoe. I have family in the Midwest as well and they were a little turned off by the name Amari because it is African, Swahili to be exact. I think that if you like Rocco, you should use it. It shouldn't matter what others think. In my honest opinion, your co-worker sounds like an ignorant jackass that is closed minded. Rocco does not sound South American at all. South American names don't even exist seeing as South America is made of different countries with different ethnic origins. Sorry for my vent. It just annoys me when people say ignorant things like that.

*hits the like button for Rocco*

sagoon · August 2011

I have a friend named Rocco, but he is an Italian-American from Brooklyn. He couldn't be more stereotypical if he tried, and the name really works on him. I think it might be odd on a person without Italian heritage.

anna7602 · August 2011

I'm back. Maybe your friends were thinking of "Raquel" when they said it sounds "South American"?

Also, forgive me for making a comment about Rocco & the Spanish-speaking world. I don't think the name is used in Brazil or Suriname or any of the other non-Spanish speaking countries of South America.

jennylove1084 · August 2011

anna7602:

I'm back. Maybe your friends were thinking of "Raquel" when they said it sounds "South American"?

Also, forgive me for making a comment about Rocco & the Spanish-speaking world. I don't think the name is used in Brazil or Suriname or any of the other non-Spanish speaking countries of South America.

Nope, he knew it was Rocco and asked if the middle name would be SockEmRobots...which is fine.

I swear, it's just a regional thing here - people must not turn on the tv or something. When I told people we were naming DS Christian, I got "But that's a girl's name!!!!". Seriously.

LoCarb · August 2011

LOVE Rocco! I do think of an Italian heritage.

lovelyophelia · August 2011

Fancy3Face:
I think of that Nickelodeon cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life".
I like the name a lot though!

That's exactly what I think of too. Name is just NMS.

HappyMrsK · August 2011

I love the name Rocco!

I could never see myself using it personally for my child so I named my dog Rocco (see siggy!)

I was inspired when Madonna named her son Rocco, plus there was a baseball player in my home town at the time I got my dog named Rocco Baldelli. So those are my associations with the name. I don't think you have to be Italian to use it, although many might assume your were with that name.

couliegirl · August 2011

LaComtesse:

First off, let me just say that, in reading quickly, I thought you said "DH and I love Deuce if it's a boy" and I was appalled that you would name a child "Deuce" ;-)

Aaaaanyway...

To me, Rocco is reeeeeeeeeeally Italian and, frankly, kind of guidotastic to boot. (And I say this with the kind of love and affection that only an Italian who was born in New Jersey can have.) It's not a bad name and I go back and forth on whether or not I personally like it, but I feel like it works if you're Italian and not so much if you're not. (Kind of, like, if I named my baby Wolfgang when I'm not German.) If you have an Italian background, I'd say it's okay but if not... meh.

(Also: your co-worker said it was "South American"? That's kind of ridiculous, considering South America is made up of 12 different countries that speak dozens of different languages.)

To me Rocco is a stretch from your German ties to Rochus, unless you name him that and use Rocco as a NN. I'm not a fan of crossing ethnic lines when naming. I think it's weird.

moxie9 · August 2011

lovelyophelia:
Fancy3Face:
I think of that Nickelodeon cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life".
I like the name a lot though!
That's exactly what I think of too. Name is just NMS.

Me too. Something about a wallaby wearing a Hawaiian shirt has permanently put me off the name.

ENI36 · August 2011

I kind of like it but I don't think I'd ever have the guts to use it though. It sounds like a very "tough guy" name. I can't picture it on a scrawny, nerdy teenager (not saying that's what you'll end up with but it just seems like quite a name to live up to).

sweetpealee · August 2011

I really love this name and we considered it for a while... I also love Rocco Dispirito- but finally came to the conclusion that even though I am roughly half Italian, my husband is 100 % chinese and the name "Rocco" would not really work for our half- chinese baby... My younger brother also said it sounds very macho- like a guy working on a car or riding a motorcycle. That was it for our love affair with Rocco.

mgra328 · August 2011

I actually HAVE a Rocco. My husband is Italian.

At first, our families thought we were joking when hubby made the phone calls announcing his name after he was born. Now, everyone LOVES it. IT totally suits him...he's a little nuts.

I get lots of positive feedback from people that first meet him, especially kids. Most ppl think it's a super cool name...I agree.

As far as you not being Italian? Who cares? Name your kid the name you and DH both love and F what ppl think.

scorch · August 2011

tusshie2004:

I like Rocco. It sounds Italian to me. I also like the name Roscoe. I have family in the Midwest as well and they were a little turned off by the name Amari because it is African, Swahili to be exact. I think that if you like Rocco, you should use it. It shouldn't matter what others think. In my honest opinion, your co-worker sounds like an ignorant jackass that is closed minded. Rocco does not sound South American at all. South American names don't even exist seeing as South America is made of different countries with different ethnic origins. Sorry for my vent. It just annoys me when people say ignorant things like that.

*hits the like button for Rocco*

Love Rocco.

I kind of think that 'remaining in ethnic lines' doesnt really matter anymore ( Amari is gorgeous) . I totally agree that if you lived in a population that was heavily ' guido-tastic' but you yourself were not, you might get a lot of side-eye. But living in the midwest where there arent densely populated , multi generational Italians ( to give you the side-eye) you can get away with it.

I also love Roscoe, kind of feels the same, but I kinda love the way it looks too.

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