Baby Name of the Day: Rocky

The baby name Rocky brings to mind the boxing ring and the great outdoors. 

Thanks to Eliana for requesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME ROCKY MEAN?

Before we get to the name, let’s talk about the word.

A rock is a solid mineral formation. Sometimes they’re as small as pebbles. Others tower over us, boulders and cliffs of rock. Regardless of size or shape, rock is hard. Enduring. Solid as a rock.

It’s been a verb for ages, too – one with a different origin and meaning. To rock or sway probably comes from the Old Norse rykkja, which means “to move.”

By the 1950s, it was also a genre of music – one that has since taken over the world.

Of course, a rocky path presents challenges, and so rocky can also be the opposite of smooth or easy.

So what does the baby name Rocky mean? We tend to associate it with strength. There’s a wildness to this name, too. Place names and pop culture fill in even more meaning. 

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

The Rocky Mountains stretch from Western Canada to New Mexico in the United States. They are the largest mountain system in North America.

How did the Rockies get their name? During the 18th century, French-Canadian military commander and explorer Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre translated the Algonquian name into French: Montagnes Rocheuses.

Not long after, they became the Rocky Mountains in English.

They featured large in the American imagination during the 20th century. A 1937 Western titled Springtime in the Rockies featured Gene Autry as a ranch owner. In 1942, a light-hearted Betty Grable romance shared the same name. 

During the 1970s, John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” turned the mountain range into a song lyric. 

While it’s not the only brand with roots in Colorado, Coors Brewing Company is probably the most famous. 

The baby name Rocky would’ve felt very Americana long before a boxer ever answered to the name.

HERO NAME

During World War II, Major Damon Gause escaped a prison camp in Bataan, swam to a neighboring island, and then, with a fellow serviceman, managed to sail a fishing boat all the way from the Philippines to Australia. The Georgia native lost his life during a test flight in 1944. 

His nickname? Rocky.

There’s an uptick in the name’s use during the 1940s that might be due to the aviator.

ROCKY MARCIANO

But here’s a twist: Rocky isn’t just a place name or a nickname.

It also comes from Rocco or Roch. While roche means rock in French today, the name probably comes from a Germanic root meaning crow or rook. 

Born on the border of France in the early 14th century, the future Saint Roch tended the sick during outbreaks of the plague in Italy. It was said his touch could cure the sick.  

He’s particularly significant in Italian-American culture, and the Feast of Saint Rocco was long a major event in New York City. 

The son of Italian immigrants, Rocco Francis Marchegiano would become famus as Rocky Marciano. Competing from 1947 to 1955, he held the World Heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956, defending his title six times and retiring undefeated.

The Italian name Rocco leads logically to nickname Rocky, making it even more of a potential given name.

ROCKFORD and ROCKWELL

Just like the mountains became the Rockies in English-speaking countries, French surname Rochefort, Rochfort, or Rocheford was transformed to Rockford.

It’s probably a surname borrowed from a place name: a safe crossing (ford) in a rocky river. 

At least, that’s how Rockford, Illinois got its name. It’s located on the Rock River, which is, indeed, treacherously rocky.

Fans of A League of Their Own might think of the Rockford Peaches. The real (and ficitonal) team hailed from Rockford, Illinois, playing from 1943 to 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

One more pop culture use: from 1974 to 1980, actor James Garner starred on NBC’s The Rockford Files. Set in Los Angeles, it focused on the career of ex-convict turned private detective Jim Rockford. His dad – nicknamed Rocky – also appeared in many episodes. 

There’s also surname Rockwell. It probably referred to rooks – crows – rather than rocks. 

Norman Rockwell is the best-known bearer of the surname. American artist Rockwell Kent wore it as a given name. And in 1983, Kennedy William Gordy scored a smash international hit with his paranoia anthem “Somebody’s Watching Me.” He recorded and released the track under the stage name Rockwell. 

ROCKY BALBOA

There’s a strong undercurrent in favor of Rocky as a given name by the time we get to the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1976, a then relatively unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone starred as Robert “Rocky” Balboa. Inspiration for the Italian Stallion’s story came from a different fight, but the character was modeled on Marciano. (A second boxer, Thomas Barbella, held the World Middleweight title from 1947 to 1948. He was known professinally as Rocky Graziano. In his case, Rocky came from his middle name, Rocco.)

The 1976 movie was a sensation. Five sequels followed, between 1979 and 2006. In 2015, Ryan Coogler introduced spin-off movie Creed, which became another wildly succesful series, complete with two sequels, ending in 2023. 

THE ROCK

One more influence: football player turned successful pro wrestler turned movie star Dwayne Johnson – also known as The Rock.

How did he get his nickname? The father of Dwayne Johnson was Wayde Bowles. He became a professional wrestler known as Rocky Johnson. On his mother’s side, Dwayne is the grandson of Samoan-American wrestler Peter Maivia. 

So when Dwayne started his career? He was introduced as Rocky Maivia, drawing on both sides of his famous familiy.

By the 1990s, he shortened it to The Rock, and referred to himself by the new name – just as his popularity soared.

STANDALONE NAME

All of this brings us to a moment when similar names were cilmbing in use. During the 1960s, Cliff and Craig caught on. Nature name trends accelerated into the 21st century, along with word names in general.

The baby name Rocky fits perfectly. 

We’re used to hearing it associated with athletes. And like so many other nicknames, we forget it wasn’t neccesarily on famous figures’ birth certificates.

Along the way, The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cult classic and lent the name a certain edge. So did Leonard “Rocky” George, guitarist for 1980s thrash metal/punk bank Suicidal Tendencies. 

The latter inspired the name of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s son, Rocky Thirteen.

He wasn’t the first famous Rocky. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. welcomed son Rocky James in 2012.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ROCKY?

In 1913, the baby name Rocky debuted in United States Social Security Administration data, with 13 births. 

By 1942, it debuted in the US Top 1000, ranking #954. 

It has appeared most years since then. The name peaked during the 1950s, probably thanks to Rocky Marciano. Predictably, the name climbed again when the world met Rocky Balboa.

As of 2024, the baby name Rocky ranked #657. Some of that popularity boost is likely due to the 2023 birth of the Kardashian-Barker baby. 

EDGY MODERN NATURE NAME 

All of this gives the baby name Rocky a surprisingly long history of use. It’s a rugged Americana place name, a silver screen staple, a legendary athlete, a name with a punk rock edge. 

In our moment with kids answering to Maverick and River, it also feels perfectly mainstream.

If you’re looking for something casual, with a mix of strength and creative verve, Rocky might be the perfect choice.

What do you think of the baby name Rocky?